They trimmed back a bunch of trees along the apartment complex property this morning. And this just happened to be a morning I slept in from not feeling well (pain, meds).

I promised I would be there when they came by, I would protect her and make sure they trimmed ONLY what needed to be trimmed. I am so disappointed in myself.

They removed whole limbs where only a branch had broken away and lay dying amongst other, living branches. They left a few broken and dying branches behind. It’s like they just come in and sawed a limb here and there because that’s what they were getting paid to do.

She lives just outside my front door, just off the porch. I see her every day. I appreciate her every day. She gave such beautiful shade. Sunlight and shade danced on the ground below her when the sun was high.

She used to hang down after a rain, her leaves dotted with the rain drops, dropping down to the level of our porch. She never bothered anybody. Not us. And not the lady who lived above us, who must have moved out recently. And now extra-loud people with a ton of kids and very loud arguments live up there.

I miss my old upstairs neighbor as much as I miss the branches of my favorite tree.

I’ve been wanting to do this for months, but today I am starting. I took great care in sketching her out as she has been known. Now I’m transferring my sketch from canvas onto tracing paper (backwards, but it turned out well and I want to save it). She is a beautiful tree, and she will always be beautiful.

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