Good-bye Oak and Post Trunk Show and Book Party

Coffee in the Chicago skyline mug, "Gimme Shelter" by the Rolling Stones on the iPod. Yesterday was a full day. The City of Atlanta took the big oak out yesterday. I requested it be taken as it was dying, but it still made me cry to see them cutting off the limbs and cutting it down. I called the grandson of the original owner of the house and let him know they were cutting it. He is a wood turner and wanted some of the wood from it for sentimental reasons. I got the City people to leave some good pieces for him and he came for some of them while I was up at my book signing/gallery show last night.

Taking down a tree this big--especially one whose trunk is less than two feet from a very busy road--is a monumental endeavor. It took a team of four all day. One guy was up in the basket with a chainsaw and the rest were on the ground controlling the fall. There were some really scary moments--like when they took the whole trunk down in one piece.

There was a grizzled old man with a white pick-up who waited for hours to be able to collect some of the fallen limbs and pieces for firewood for the winter. I was glad to think the tree would be warming him. The limbs the city took away are chipped into mulch which is given away to anyone who wants to get it. This weekend Jessie and I are going to collect some of the acorns from the tree to plant so we can have new oak saplings for the backyard next year.

The show and book signing last night were a hoot! All the pictures (courtesy of Pam and Licha--I forgot my camera) are up on Flickr.

Thank you Mary and Patrick for a really wonderful party!