Neglect

If I neglected my house as shamefully as I've neglected this blog, it would be condemned. Despite the blog silence, I have been doing things around the house. I'm back and I'm committed to posting more frequently.

I can't take credit for this directly but I did set the ball in motion.  My tree was pruned this year. There is a large oak tree directly in front of my house. At approximately 40 feet tall, it's huge. It provides wonderful shade. People waiting for the bus often sat on my porch steps because it's so cool and shady. But, and you knew one was coming, the oak tree was ridiculously overgrown. Its branches choked my gutter and smacked my bedroom window.

        

In Philadelphia, if a tree lines the sidewalk or street, it falls under the care of the Faimount Park Commission. If a tree is in your backyard then it's your responsibility to maintain it. "My" tree is actually a Fairmount Park tree, so I called them. Mid-July they sent an inspector to determine what maintenence was required. The inspector agreed the tree required pruning, so they put my tree on their work schedule. The Fairmount Park Commission doesn't tell you when they're coming, only that they're coming. So the entire summer I kept an expactant eye out for the pruning crew to arrive. What I didn't know was, pruning is typically done in the fall. Bright and early Halloween morning the arborists arrived. As I left for work, I saw the guys begin their work.

   

I came home to this.

       

When I first saw it I felt the urge to wrap a blanket around its base and sing Christmastime is Here. My poor tree. He looked so bare, almost nekkid. Now that I've grown accustomed to the sight of my tree, I've realized the benefits of pruning. Besides being an eyesore, the large canopy held ALOT of moisture towards the house. After even a moderate rain, my porch roof would leak. There would be standing pools of water and the subsequent mosquitoes. A squirrel even tried to nest in my air conditioner. He would just hop from a branch on to the window sill. Now my porch is dry and no critters on my sills.

Good job, Fairmount Park Commission.