Why do old people feel the need to cut down trees?

My elderly next door neighbor took out 2 beautiful spruce trees last year - tall, 40 year old beauties that gave a home to birds and squirrels, and provided shade and privacy. He asked me if I would cut down my spruce at the same time. I love my tree, and will not cut it down. I like to sit in the back yard and listen to the wind whistle through the branches, watch the birds fly in and out, and see where our 'pet' squirrel Finnigan V pops up. Yes, the tree makes cones that land in the yard, and on his side of the fence. I'm sure a number of them end up in his rain gutters as well as mine. For me, that's a minor inconvenience when compared to the joy I get from it. I told my neighbor to toss the pinecones over the fence, and to trim any large branches on his side, but that I would not be taking out the tree.

This morning as I was sitting with Lily, I heard a chainsaw fire up. Sure enough it was my neighbor. This time he was having someone cut down the tree in his front yard. While I miss the spruce trees, this one is a heartbreaking loss. It was a tall, stately weeping birch, one of the few in the neighborhood that wasn't affected by the drought. I have a soft spot for birch trees, as we have always had one in our yard - Mom and Dad's old house had 3 in the front yard, the lake has one in at the kitchen window, and the new house has one in the front yard. When I bought my house, it didn't have a birch, but the neighbor had one. Because of where it was in the yard, I shared the view of it, and could pretend it was mine...

And now it's just firewood.

We will be putting aside some money so that we can plant a proper tree in the spring. I was talking to Mom about this a week ago. When my Grandpa died, my mom and I picked out a tree to plant in my yard in his honor, and in honor of Lily's birth, I wanted to plant a tree in the front. Now I know what kind of tree I will plant.

A weeping birch that will restore balance to my yard.