The Day Goliath Fell

Today marks one year since Goliath fell...and one year since the beginning of this post!

Meet Goliath, the massive sugar maple tree that coated everything on the east side of our house in sticky black sap the summer of 2016. 

It took me a really long time to agree that the tree needed to come down. It was the only tree on our property suited for a tree swing and a treehouse. And it was so old! But it was pretty obvious that it was a nuisance when visitors avoided parking in our driveway. The sap it dropped all over vehicles attracted all manner of bees, wasps, and other stinging creatures, making it a hazard opening doors, not to mention a mess to clean up. Eli is allergic to bees, which pretty much was the determining factor in the decision.

"Yep. She's pretty solid. Gonna need a chainsaw for this one."

I watched one last sunrise through the old beast. I liked the tree in part because of the view it blocked in the summer. Our neighbor, Ray, said that he and the former owner each planted these "twin" maples almost half a century ago. Ray helped us that day hauling branches and twigs to the compost dump north of town. Little did we know Ray was dying from cancer. He passed away the week before Christmas.

We hired distant cousin and longtime friend of ours, B.J., for the job. He brought another cousin, Corey, to help. If anyone in the Cedar Valley needs an arborist, please message me and I'll send you his contact information. I highly recommend him! I was busy most the day cooking food for everyone who came to work, but I took every opportunity to watch the process. My parents and brother were here to help haul away branches and stack logs.

All down! It took us six more months to finish splitting and stacking all the firewood the tree supplied. Each time the boys went outside they'd haul wheelbarrows full to our firewood stacks along the creek banks. In that time we planted a row of four Colorado blue spruce trees along the property line where three maple once stood, and welcomed a baby girl into the world.

The last limb to fall was massive. When it fell it splattered the whole east side of our house, up to the attic window, with mud.

The stumps and sawdust created an exciting playground for the boys. They'd toss handfuls of sawdust up in the air yelling, "and...VANISH!" Then they'd dive behind a stump. Crossing the yard became a real-life version of "Frogger"...with splinters and mud as hazards. The boys would come in looking like they'd been tarred and feathered.

Needless to say, I was relieved when the last load of wood was hauled away, the last pile of sawdust raked into the fire.

I have plans for the Goliath stump this spring that include drilling holes, a willow whip trellis, and sweet pea hyacinths. Come on warm weather!