I had to have an old oak taken down today

[usonian]

20. It happens. Part of the cycle of life.

I live in the Sierra Nevada Foothills, and trees are constantly dying and new ones sprout up.

The borer beetle destroyed countless pine trees whose sap, which defended against the borers, was reduced drastically by years of drought. I lost 4 or 5 pines in my front yard alone.

And then the oaks get old, mistletoe, a parasite, sucks the life out of them, and down they go.

One in my land broke into parts three separate times and fell over my power line, which thanks to the first owner, was UNDERGROUND.

I just posted a roadside "live oak" which ain't live any more.

https://www.democraticunderground.com/1036165222



All these things required tons of cleanup to remove the tinder they created.

There's a big live oak just west of the home that won't live much longer. But behind it is a manzanita that is almost as tall, so there'll be some privacy.

It's sad to see them go, but nature renews (out here, anyway).

Nothing lasts forever, but perhaps you can get a long-living plant for your birthday. In previous homes, we had lemon trees and so on. Again, they don't last forever, but the lemons (Meyer Lemons) were wonderful. Your weather may vary.