This is a bit of a sad Tree Tuesday post. I came home to find my beautiful Ash tree marked with a yellow ribbon, along with twenty or so other trees that line our beautiful circle. Often times, a yellow ribbon around a tree is a show of support and solidarity. In this case, the yellow ribbon means certain death. The city has declared war on all Ash trees due to the infestation of the Emerald Ash borer, and my tree is the next victim.
What drew me to this neighborhood was the circle lined with mature trees and the unique houses nestled beneath those leafy bowers. Soon, we will all come home to an empty street with few towering giants throwing dappled sunlight on the soft grass below. I am so sad that my little ones won't be able to sit under the cooling shade or be greeted by its rustling leaves. It's truly like a knife in the heart, and that yellow ribbon reminds me the reality is coming closer and closer. One day, I will return from work to find nothing but a stump of a magnificent tree left where beauty once stood.
Goodbye, my friend tree. I promise to continue your legacy by planting another tree. Actually, my plan is to plant two in honor of the adoption of my two little ones. May those trees grow to be as strong and proud as you. May they create new memories of warm summer days and cool breezes. I may not be here in twenty years when they have reached their full glory, but may they continue to live a long and healthy life and be as magnificent as you once were.
