Saying goodbye to an old friend

This week I was faced with a tough decision. A 50YO cherry tree dropped a large limb on our garage. We had hoped to get it trimmed and neatened up, but after several estimates it was determined the tree had to come down. The tree had been in our neighborhood since the first home was built. It was on this earth before me. I thought about all the animals I'd seen playing in it. My dogs used to stand up at the base of the trunk looking up at the chattering squirrels that loved to torment them. Thankfully we were assured no animals were nesting in the tree and reluctantly agreed to have it taken down. We planted three new flowering trees to make up for our loss. The tree trimmer left a mountain of chips on our driveway, so I definitely won't be bored this week. The tree can remain with us in it's new form and eventually return to the earth. Goodbye, dear friend. Thank you for your many years of service of providing shade and a safe haven for all our furry and feathered friends. You will be missed.