Filed under: life | Tags: arborist, austin, king tilley, kk tilley, mau-mau, pancho, pixielove, red oak, tree, woodpecker
Today’s word of the day was “mau-mau” which means to intimidate by hostile confrontation or threats. I feel like I’ve been mau-maued today.
This morning, Pancho left for work about 20 minutes ahead of me. Nothing out of the ordinary.
When I walked out on my way to work, there was a strange orange zippy car parked in front of the house. Inside my head, I noted how rude the neighbors were.
As I turned the corner toward the driveway, I noticed my husband’s car still parked next to mine. Strange since he’d left quite a while back.
As I walked past his car, I noticed his briefcase on the ground next to the rear tire. Hmm.Things were not looking good.
I called his cell to see what was going on; I heard it ringing nearby and panicked. My husband had been kidnapped!
And then he answered. From the backyard. Where he was standing with the city arborist who owned the orange zippy car.
They were discussing the imminent removal of my dear old red oak tree. Conspirators.
If I hadn’t caught them scheming in the backyard, I would have come home to a giant hole in my skyline where my glorious old red oak tree sheltered countless birds and squirrels. A girl needs some warning about these things!
The red oak died of oak wilt within the last year, so I knew the day was coming. We were holding out to allow the baby squirrels and birds to leave it. I suppose that time has come.
I will miss the red headed woodpecker that dines on the red oak’s insect inhabitants every morning. And the expansive canopy of branches, even though it’s final leaves fell last fall.
Farewell, my lovely tree.
(If you look carefully, you’ll see the woodpecker on the middle trunk of the tree next to a knot where he likes to feast.)
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