Once upon a time, about a year ago, our yard was covered in rows and rows of tall pine trees and other trees such as magnolias, oaks, sweet gums and other varieties. We lived in a forest! All was shaded and covered with pine straw and pine cones.
We decided we had too many trees and would like to sell some of them so Prince Roy carefully marked these trees we could do without with a bright orange paint. They were carefully selected and tenderly bid adieu.
The search began for someone one to come and carefully cut out these trees and leave our forest thinned but still a forest to shade our home. They also were homes to a whole horde of squirrels, red headed woodpeckers, and many other birds. After months of searching and making phone calls he finally found someone who said they could cut this small acreage of big trees and do it carefully but they decided that this was not their cup of tea and went away.
Despair set in for Prince Roy and the family Matriarch thought no one wanted our trees which made us sad. More phone calls were made and days were spent seeking and searching for a logger until finally one appeared. Oh glorious day our loggers were coming to carefully cut down the trees we thought we could spare and the big monster machines began to arrive.
I was a little disappointed in the big monster for it was surely not pretty but it did look like a monster. A man appeared with a chain saw and as he cut the trees down this monster would pick them up and move them to a pile to be carried away. Trees began to fall and the whole ground would shake, the house would shiver and I got in the bed and covered up my head. I just knew one of those big trees was going to fall on the house for the loggers didn't impress me with their smarts. Nice people but just a little carried away with the power of the big monster and chain saw.Trees were cut, stacked and loaded on the monster truck to be carried away to be de-barked and cut into long planks. We said goodbye to each load and Prince Roy counted them twice and made his list. Being an accountant means you have to count everything and make a list. Me, I just waved goodbye to each load.
The forest began to be thinner and then the rain began and it rained and rained. The ground became wet but the big monster machine kept rolling around the yard and dragging the big trees to be stacked. Big ruts began to form and as the trees began to fall they would hit other trees and they would say uh oh, we hit another tree and another tree and another tree. Needless to say we had to say goodbye to more trees than we intended. It became clearer with each "uh oh" that all the trees were soon to be gone.
As you can see we had quite a few lovely old trees until the monsters arrived and the monster masters began to saw, chop and haul. Somewhere along this time all the trees began to be cut and stacked and hauled away. I stopped saying goodbye to each load and said, "Whatever."
Soon our yard was a huge mess and stayed like that for months. It was covered in discarded trees, limbs, stumps and junk. It was depressing for not only were there piles of trees and limbs but we had the wettest summer we have had in years and you could have floated an ark amongst the piles. It was a horrible scene.
We began to seek and search for someone to come to our rescue and make our yard look pretty again and we found Jonathan. He came and looked and said I can do it and he is doing it. Soon he brought in his monsters and began to drag, cut, rake and make huge piles of stumps, roots and trees. The good Lord kept sending rain but they worked between the rain showers and soon it was all stacked and ready to be burned.
The fires were set, the monsters fed the flames with all the trees, stumps, limbs and roots and several days and nights later it was all gone. All was clean but bare. We looked and wondered what could we do to make it pretty again.
We began to realize that we had a huge water hole in the front yard and a vision began to form in our minds and it was a vision of a pond with a picnic table, swing, benches and gazebo. It was filled with bream, bass and catfish just waiting to be caught and cooked. It would have a place to sit and read and ponder the questions of life and a place to teach our great grandchildren how to fish. The vision grew and grew and now it is coming to be a reality.
Jonathan's monster machine began to dig and haul the dirt away and the pond began.
The hole grew bigger and deeper and low and behold there were 2 natural springs bubbling up from the ground bringing water to the deep hole.
The few lonely trees which were left began to look less lonely and the big monsters slowly dug the pond and smoothed the yard.
This monster carefully dug out big chunks of dirt and placed it in spots which needed it. You would almost believe this big bucket was an extension Wayne's hand. It would dig up big chunks of dirt and very carefully place it where it was needed and then take the back of it's hand and smooth it out. This monster is powerful but gentle. It lifts, deposits and smooths the dirt with a powerful, gentle hand. I like this monster.
The back yard patiently waits its turn to be beautified with fruit trees, grass, beds of daylilies and azaleas. Raised beds for vegetables will be added and all will be lovely again. I hope Clay will come and help us plan our daylily beds and show us how to make them beautiful.
Where have all the trees gone? Maybe to build a house or make lovely flooring or maybe tall poles. I will miss them but I know they are being used for something good and beautiful.
Nuff said,
The Georgia Peach
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