Fallen tree

HPIM1596 Fallen tree
Originally uploaded by Robubble

This Southern blue-gum came down at 1.30am on Saturday morning.

HPIM1596

Stump cross-section

HPIM1603 Stump
Originally uploaded by Robubble

HPIM1603

Tree death

I'm sitting here typing to the oh-so-restful sounds of chainsaws. It has been going on for the past three hours. At 1 am yesterday morning I was in bed trying to sleep despite the noise of the storm and the full force of a cold. The groaning and cracking noises coming from the large eucalyptus tree at the side of the house were alarming enough for me to go outside and shine a torch at it. It was then leaning hard against the very corner of the roof and cracking the eaves. I rang my parents (Mum had arrived from the UK in the evening so she was still awake with jetlag). A couple of minutes after I started talking, rather ineloquently as I was a bit scared, the tree came down. Mum could hear the bang over the phone and me saying "f***". It wasn't so scary once it had fallen. It took out half of our deck roof (the part that Dad had worked so hard to repair and cover!). The bulk of it landed in the council reserve. The insurance company sent a tree lopper to have a look and later yesterday he rang the neighbours to say he would come today (Sunday).