It Was A Dark and Stormy Night

/ Pam Goode

Last night, and in fact smack in the middle of what’s often called Premium Sleep Time, a tree fell on our house.

First of all, yes, we’re okay. Secondly, while my husband leapt out of bed and examined every iota of the house inside and out until he knew we were safe for the night — I slept through it. While the occasional deep sleep is understandable if you’re, say, missing breakfast, but it’s more than disconcerting if your house has been ravaged by tree limbs during your slumber. It’s just not something we tend to prepare for, and the concept of sleeping through a major episode makes all my wires short out.

And yes, it was indeed a dark and stormy night. Lots of wind and lots of rain, but not so different from most nights … until the crash. And it’s probably no surprise that 1) it rattled me big time, and two, I can’t shake it.

Once we’d enlisted chainsaw and climbing help via my husband’s (seriously) knowledge of everything on the planet, I slipped away to the studio to work on a project. I calmed down a (tiny) bit after 20 minutes or so, and then there was a knock on the door of my studio/sanctuary.

“I just wanted to let you know that there’s a large gas leak and they’ve asked everyone to leave the building.” Okay, I’m sure there’s a silver lining in there somewhere, but it wasn’t meant for today.

All in all, the tree was about 60 feet tall, and we were lucky (really, really lucky) that it snapped instead of falling full force in all its glory across several backyards. We think it was one of those “surprise” miniature tornadoes. I hope it’s my last.

20 thoughts on “It Was A Dark and Stormy Night”

  3. I’ve been away from my computer for a week or so, and don’t use my phone except for calling, so I was surprised to return and find that you had been attacked by a tree! Glad no one was hurt, and sorry that you’ve been terrorized by your own vegetation! Of course, it would be unlike me to not want to identify the culprit, so based on what I could make out in the garden photo, it appears to be a southern yellow pine — I am leaning toward Virgina Pine or Shortleaf Pine, but really can’t be too sure as your shot was not taken with the intent to show the needles in detail, rather to show the destruction and debris. Anyway, it’s likely that had the tree been uprooted rather than snapped, the damage might have actually been less, as the tree still attached to some root mass, would have fallen more slowly onto the house, instead of plummeting untethered with the full force of gravity behind it. Also, I noted that the bird feeder appears to have taken a beating as well, but judging by the vegetation, it looks like the feeding season is over in your neck of the woods. At any rate, all of these are items that can be repaired, though at a cost which could probably be applied to something more desirable, like travel or grandkids or any number of other things that would bring you more pleasure, so that’s a bummer. But I hope that your peace of mind and an uncertainty of feeling safe within your own home will not haunt you for any extended period of time. All the best, Elliot

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    • Hi Elliot! And where’s the School of Forestry when I need you? And yes indeed we WERE terrorized by our own vegetation — not something I hope to repeat. Ever. I do think I can scrounge up some needles to show you though. By the way, “Plummeting untethered is my new favorite phrase — one I intend to use a lot but NOT in regard future falling trees. We did manage to keep most of the plants, and we’ll be working on restoring the greenery first thing. Way less certain about the feeder, but it could have been worse!

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      • Yes, I wish I was closer, as I would be happy to clean up the mess in return for the standing “snag”. I have a small sawmill that is hungry for pine! It’s ironic, much of our schooling at Duke centered on the 5 Southern Pine species in the Carolinas, my master’s thesis research was entirely devoted to the Loblolly Pine, and 99.9% of the trees that made up the National Forest where I worked in South Dakota were Ponderosa Pine, yet here where I live it is hard to find a Pine, particularly one that is native. Not that it doesn’t grow here, but because it was so desirable as a construction material, it was overharvested, and the regeneration that followed was often outcompeted by the native hardwoods so that it is now uncommon. We do have an abundance of Hemlock, another softwood, but it is just not the same as Pine. So, when a pine does come along as a byproduct of some disaster, insect infestation, or clearing operation, I am quick to offer my services in exchange for the nice building materials that it can furnish. Anyway, sorry not to be able to assist with the restoration, but I’m sure that you will get things back in order in due time and your backyard and gardens will be restored and rejuvenated, minus one tree, of course. That is, unless you decide to take up carving and desire a totem pole! E

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