Hi, everybody. Interview went okay. Visited a couple of classrooms, met with the middle school principal as well as the high school. Didn't project confidence as much as I might have liked, but didn't, I think, put my foot in my mouth too badly. The principals are nice and the school is gorgeous and all in all I think I'd really like it, but I think it'll come down to how desparate they are (that is, how many actually experienced teachers are available at this point in the school year). On the upside, it looks like they may be hiring for two positions instead of one, so two times the chances for desperation! Now just a wait-and-see.

And happy birthday to the gorgeous Emeline!

Steady vibeage, Emily.

No, Epic, the power company is just concerned about the ice storms we get, and limbs falling on the power lines. They have no interest whatever in trees, except in killing them whenever possible. They are concerned about limbs falling on the power lines when we have our frequent ice storms, so they want to "trim" them back as far as possible, because they don't want to have to come back and trim them again any more often than absolutely necessary. So if they can damage a tree past recovery so that it dies, then the homeowner is responsible for taking the tree down, and the power company doesn't have to worry about those limbs any more.

These oaks have been here since I was a child, my dad planted them--they were perhaps 20 years old at that point. I can't circle the trunks with my arms. They've been home to squirrels and birds, and provided a barrier to eyes and noise from the road and the neighborhood.

What will happen now, since they didn't top the trees or thin them out symmetrically, is that when we get an ice storm the unsupported top branches will break. The heavy limbs left will overbalance the trunk and make the trees unstable. Their lifespans have been shortened.

It's probably just as well, though. Whoever has this house after us will no doubt not want to deal with venerable trees, and would sooner plant tidy Bradford pears or crape myrtles--tame trees, that are small and non-threatening.

Oh, Beverly. I'm so sorry, sweetie.

That is sad, Beverly.

Although if I was taking the house after you I would be all about the oaks. A friend of mine has a huge, 100+ year old oak in her yard. After a hurricane blew through the entire neighborhood came by to make sure the oak was still ok.

Thanks guys. The other people in my immediate vicinity right now think I'm a freak for crying about some damned old trees.

But Em is a year old today--and there will be cake!

And there are other reasons for joy, so. Onward.

{{{Beverly}}} My grandparents had to take down "Elmer" a few years ago. It was planted when they built the house, survived Dutch-Elm disease. It was a great tree.

I hate it when people take down trees for silly reasons. Tree was there before the power lines.

{{Beverly}} I feel your pain. Between the huge trees felled by the hurricanes and those taken by development we are becoming a city of bushes. It breaks my heart.

{{beverly}} that hurts esp when with a little effort they could save them and have power lines.

happy birthday Em! no way it has been a year.

and the cookbook deadline extention has not helped me get my act together. I am trying. My poor family - both my sisters and mom are getting them But we do that to each other.

eta: I love the cover

Beverly, it IS sad making.

Do you have any tree activist people in the area? I know some cities do, New York has a whole "anti-arborcide" thing. If you found them maybe they could pitch a well-informed fit on your behalf.

I could throw a very UN-formed fit on your behalf.

I'll throw it right now.

t throws fit