1. It had to be done. The roots were pushing through the decrepit sidewalk, creating a situation ripe for litigious members of our society to take advantage.
2. The trees weren't as healthy as they might have appeared. Poor trimming and pruning over the years hadn't done them any favors, and every time we had a strong storm, I feared weakened branches taking down the power lines with them (and a few branches had actually grown into the wire).
I'll let Rich tell the amazing story of Woodbridge Mayor John McCormac's assistance in getting our trees taken down for free (township ordinance!). In the meantime, here's the before ...
... and here is the after:
When I got home that afternoon and saw the empty hole in our neighborhood -- of course, the day before was beautiful and sunny, while I arrived home the next day to threatening clouds -- I poured myself a glass of wine, sat on the front steps and mourned a little. What a mistake, I thought.
But we have grand plans, and I'm setting up a meeting with a landscaper to help us bring the beauty back to the house. The new sidewalks will be done by the end of the summer, and that will help immensely; we're considering tearing up the grass and putting down sod instead, and we're definitely planting two trees in the front again -- this time, between the house and the sidewalk.
Our next-door neighbor came over and said she was shocked, but in the end, she was pleased -- it'll increase the safety in the neighborhood, and that made her feel better. Us, too.
On the bright side, the township even removed the stumps:
Everything we could possibly hate about the outside of our house suddenly became very, very apparent.
I did repaint the mailbox post and install a brand-new mailbox; at its base are two sets of Little Lime hydrangeas.
Ah, well. We're taking things down to build it back up again -- it'll be ours.
*sob*
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