Trees!

I love Mother Nature’s beauty, especially the trees. Since Hurricane Florence, trees have become an integral part of our lives. They are everywhere. They are standing, lying down, leaning and one was even swimming in our pool. The majestic part of trees is often lost as we go hurriedly about our lives. We drive by them on the highway and past them in our neighborhood, but it really isn’t until we handle them individually that we give them their due.

This week, those of us in the path of Florence got up close and personal with all kinds of trees. So many trees. Just when you thought that you removed all of the trees that you could, you see others that came down during the storm. In some way, cleaning up the trees and the surrounding debris is like cleaning my closet. In order to clean up the area, you must sort through the broken branches, decide what to do with them and then either replace them or just enjoy the empty space. We are opting for the open space right now. Yet, it is odd to suddenly see houses on both sides of us since the tree screen is gone. I have a sense it will not take Mother Nature long to fill in the openness on her own. After all, isn’t that what happens in the forest after a fire?

As I am writing this post, I hear the hum of chainsaws in the area. Our neighbors are busily cutting, chopping and dragging all types of tree parts to the curb. When you drive down our street, it feels like a tunnel with green and brown walls on each side. We have no idea exactly when “they” will come to pick up all the refuse, but we have become a hopeful community and believe somehow it will all disappear. Until then, the newness of scattered trees will rub off and we will get use to the clutter on the sides of the road. But I hope we do not miss the opportunity to stop for a moment and appreciate the trees in all their glory and their might. Mother Nature is amazing.