Hooray!! Pictures!!! Err too bad for the tree

A week and a half ago, it was a pretty grey and drizzly Saturday. Our friends from Cowra Mick and Deb were staying over Friday and Saturday night. A pretty exciting thing happenend in our backyard while I was at work. Here are some pictures that tell the tale, will elaborate on more tomorrow.

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I called home when I finished work at about 1 pm from the surgery as I forgot my mobile phone. Deb picked up the phone and I asked if they wanted to meet me in town for lunch and she asked me "Haven't you recieved your sms? Half a tree in your garden fell on the shed and flattened it. The SES (State Emergency Services) have been here cutting it up and everything!"

Wow I thought, I hurried home and by then, the stuff in the shed (which was holding it up) was already cleared out so the shed just lay like a flattened card house. Amazingly, everything in the shed (bike, mower, whippersnipper, extra chairs etc.) was unharmed except for a few scratches on my bike. Apparently, Ricahrd, Mick and Deb were at the breakfast table when they heard the sound of a sheet of tin dropped a few houses away. It was quite soft and muffled so they didn't think much of it. About ten minutes later, there was a knock on the door. A man identified himself as the guy on the block behind us. "Umm are you aware that your tree has come down?" The blank look from the 3 of them confirmed to him that they were blissfully ignorant and enjoying coffee and thick cut raisin toast. (This is a mostly food blog ... had to mention food in here somewhere).

Richard contacted the real estate and everything moved quite quickly after that, them contacting people to cut up the tree and organise for people to take away tree bits during the week etc. Insurance assessors also came out so hopefully we will get a new shed soon.

I am so glad we didn't try to climb into the treehouse! It was pretty tempting but I think it might have caused a pre-mature crash. It was raining pretty heavily for the couple of days before then so it might have weakened the tree.


This is the picture of the neighbour next door to us. The 4 corners boundary that the fences shared was flattened and there was tree in everybody's yard.

Umm wonder if this large wood grub had anything to do with the tree's demise. Look at how big it is!!!! Eeew.
Here is a pic of the neighbours behind us. Today, most of the tree has been cleared up but the fence hasn't been fixed yet. Our neighbours have just leant the broken pieces of fence up to form some pseudo wall. The dogs are extremely happy as they can't stay outside during the day now. They much rather snuggle inside where it is warmer. Here is a pic of Raven soon after grooming a few weeks ago. The pet salon we send our dogs to make them all nice and pretty before they are picked up. Last time they had ribbons on the head and this time they have bandanas.

Raven really didn't like it as you can tell :D Hence as Deb said in the comments, the Bandana went to her dog Missy, a cute beagle type cross, instead.

Well goodbye tree, although we didn't really know you very well, I know it was the end of your time. A few weeks ago, us and all the houses in the surrounding area made urgent calls to plumbers. There was gurgling noises coming from the toilet and the level was going up and down. I told Richard there were alligators in the sewer but he didn't buy it. The council people came knocking on our door an hour or so later and said they needed to access our backyard as it was the nexus of all sewer pipes in the neighbourhood. They cleared the blockage and informed us that the tree (yes that same one) had roots that started clogging up the sewer and getting into the system. He said he would suggest it get removed to the council. However, nothing more was done. The owners told us that they tried removing it in the past but the council wouldn't let them as they were trying to preserve trees. Guess now they don't have a choice!