Surrounded!

I was awakened in the middle of my sleep to the sound of chain saws, a short while ago. Most things don't awaken me, but they "sounded close". Sure enough, a local tree service was 30 feet in front of the house, taking down the trees that "we" have lost this summer. A month or so ago, the big old tree that was the second from our house (heading towards the river) broke off about 10 feet above the ground. The center seemed to be rotted (noted after it had fallen), and there were lots of little Japanese beetles on the leaves. That was the first tree they took down today. I was awake in time to watch them "take down" the second of the trees - a beautiful, ancient, Willow that had split in half. Willows have such grace, such style - they're the Audrey Hepburn of the trees (she was willowy, right?). Very sadly, this tree (which had split, partially, in years past) had to go, so I stood and watched as the final cut was made - and the beautiful old lady fell to the ground with a giant ccrraackkkk. Aside from losing the beauty of these two trees, we are losing a significant source of shade for our house. It's sad to see them go! The "bright side" is that we have a clearer view of the night sky to the West now. That might work well for setting up the telescope in the front yard.

After watching the doing's in the front yard, I thought I heard a noise in the back yard...! The gas company had been doing some work yesterday, and they were back - digging up the back yard to bury the newly improved gas line. They had said, yesterday, that they would be burying the new line today - but of course, I forgot. I didn't realize that meant that they would have a giant trenching thingy in the back yard, however. Wow, do they work fast! They had that done in no time, and the work for this part of the line is done!

With any luck at all I'll be able to get a little more sleep, now that "the show's over" around here!