Beauty and Destruction

I should be writing about our recent trip that took advantage of the President’s Day holiday.  But events have overwhelmed us since we returned, so I’ve decided to start with our chaotic week and work backwards in my posts.  I knew it was going to be a hectic one upon our return, given I had an oral argument at LUBA on Tuesday.  Little did I know snow storms would hit before and after my trip up to Salem.

The first one was the biggest snow storm I’ve seen in the 25 years I’ve lived here.  It kept coming and coming and we wound up with at least 18 inches of snow.  I know that isn’t much for many of you, but for the southern Willamette Valley, it’s highly unusual.  Unfortunately, that fact was emphasized by what it did to our trees.

But let’s step back for a second, because one has to say, it was incredibly beautiful.  

We’d planted 9 aspens (8 now after I inadvertently killed one many years ago) over 15 years ago, a mix of Quaking Aspens and Norwegian Aspens.  Now, they’re fully grown they looked spectacular from our back deck, with the backdrop of Leland Cyprus trees we have screening us from our neighbors.

But along with the beauty came destruction.  It didn’t take very long for one of our Leland Cypruses, a three-trunked tree, to split under the weight of the snow.  During Sunday night both Ann and I heard a big woosh and thunk of something landing on the ground.  We suspected a tree had come down, and we felt fortunate to not to feel the house shake or hear the crashing of physical structures.  The next morning we found out we were right. 

As we checked things out, we found out that the snow was taking a toll not just on the Leland Cyprus trees. 

And as one might suspect, it wasn’t just our property.  Our neighbors didn’t fare very well either.  I guess we should be happy that an entire tree hadn’t fallen on our deck, though I did have to cut a branch off our roof.

The front yard didn’t fare much better.  Branches had come down early from the oak tree and Douglas Firs in our front yard, only for snow to try to hide the damage.  The Japanese Maples to the left and right are supposed to be there, but not the other stuff on the ground.

I made my way around to the side of the house to check out the major down-fall and to check out the potential damage to the neighbor’s house.  Despite the damage, I couldn’t help but take pleasure in how the snow sculpted the fallen body of the tree.

But one only needed to look up from that to realize the bullet that had been dodged. 

Not only did the neighbor’s car port not collapse onto their RV, the main body of the Leland Cyprus had fallen between our dwellings.  We have about a 10-foot setback from the property line - a forester couldn’t have laid down the tree in a less damaging location!

There wasn’t much we could do at that stage, so as I made my way around I stopped one more time to appreciate the beauty of everything around me . . . despite the destruction.  

On Friday, after the snow had melted a bit, Ann and I tried to do a bit of clean-up, though there wasn’t much we could do given the snow that was left.  We now have a couple of big piles of branches in our front yard and our back yard.  We’ve lost the top parts of 5 of the 8 aspens, as well as major damage to most of the other trees.  At least we’re on the list for a tree guy to come out to clean up the mess - March 13th.  

The trees in the neighborhood make it look like we’re in a war zone.  I don’t say that lightly, because I’ve been in one before.  Fortunately, people haven’t been hurt and few homes have been severely damaged.  And we are fortunate enough to not have lost power; others are still without it.  

So that’s what our week has been like.  And snow is in the forecast for late next week . . . .  Ugh!