Who fucking does that anyway?)

People who watch home improvement shows where realtors and designers shriek about "opening up the house" and "letting light in".

Men. Men is who does that. My dad limbed our row of white pines that way, and it took several years, but it left them topheavy and unstable in high wind from a certain direction, and one by one, they all broke, or toppled.

We had four massive willow oaks in the front yard--they screened the second floor deck from the street and provided shade on 90+F degree days. Pulling into the driveway left you and your car in a cool and beautiful green room, the willowy branch tips brushing the lawn and enclosing you. It was like being behind a green waterfall. H got shirty because he couldn't see where he was going on the riding mower, and trimmed up the branches, about eleven feet. I hated the loss.

It's the same mindset that trims ornamental weeping cherry trees off level at the bottom so they look like a kid with a bowl cut.

I don't know, maybe I'm being sexist but it seems to me, you put a blade in a man's hand, he's gonna go looking for something to cut down. I'm so sorry about your trees, Zen. And yuh, I'd feel vindicated if the rug mover stepped on carpet tacks, too. With bonus tetanus shot.

Argh! I am furious on your behalf, Zen. I can't even.

It's the same mindset that trims ornamental weeping cherry trees off level at the bottom so they look like a kid with a bowl cut.

Cows do that. Not necessarily ornamental weeping cherry trees, but whatever trees they can reach. Just eating the leaves and twigs as high as they can reach.

That would enrage me so much, Zen. Gah. People moving my stuff around is totally a hot button for me, and the pruning without authorization is SO over the line.

ugh. I'm sorry Zen, that is just ridiculous.

today I have taken care of all the berries Matt bought at the Farmers market. I also did dishes

I had a smoothie for first meal. need more food

it left them topheavy and unstable in high wind from a certain direction, and one by one, they all broke, or toppled.

Oh, god, please no. I get heavy winds a couple times a year, and they hit the tree that got trimmed first. If my beautiful tree topples because of that idiot, I don't know what I'll even do.

If he trimmed all the way around - they should be ok. If you are not sure call an arborist

second meal --Tamagoyaki. It was the first time i made it. Tasted good, but not as pretty as it could be. it is slow cooking

If you are not sure call an arborist

Call an arborist and charge the cost to them, because lower pine limbs won't grow back. You'll have to plant something in front of them to get the screening back.

I am also a "don't touch my things" person, but doing something unfixable without asking is beyond the pale.

People who watch home improvement shows where realtors and designers shriek about "opening up the house" and "letting light in".

My sister. I love my sister. She's a wonderful person. I wish she'd stop watching HGTV all the time.

I don't know, maybe I'm being sexist but it seems to me, you put a blade in a man's hand, he's gonna go looking for something to cut down.

Seems that way to me, too.

As much as I am (mildly) annoyed by the small army of relentless lady DIYers that surrounds me*, I think from now on, the only person doing maintenance work in my house and yard will be me. Except for the guy who mows my lawn. He's all right. He's an exception to the "go looking for something else to cut" mindset.

If he trimmed all the way around - they should be ok. If you are not sure call an arborist

I've looked at them with a calmer mind and talked about it with my regular lawn guy. He agrees that the trees will be fine, and says the lower limbs will probably grow back, at least partly, in a couple years. It doesn't look as bad as it initially looked to me, and isn't going to harm the trees. It's about five feet up from the ground, but the trees are wide as well as tall, so it doesn't look to me like it'll make them too top-heavy. Scissors Man trimmed one tree all the way around and another halfway before I stopped him. Many of those lower branches are/were dead and I knew they needed to be trimmed out, so I may go on and trim out some of the dead branches from the other side of the half-trimmed tree. I'll leave the third tree alone for now. I think I'll also speak to my neighbor about it, because he said he thought it looked better now, and I want him to know not to trim too much or too high if he decides to do it to his pine tree too. I've found he doesn't know much, he just likes to mess with things. I'm trying to be calm and zen about this.

*you have no idea. Any time I say, I need somebody to do X, they chirp, oh, I did X myself! and tell me all about it and how easy it is and how I can do it myself too! When I was getting the new floors put down in my bathroom and kitchen, both my sister and my BFF kept talking about the floors they'd laid themselves. ARGH YES I KNOW I LOVE YOU SHUT UP

Groceries acquired. Char sui in its bath. I think it might be time for a cup of tea.