The End of an Era

Many many years ago...when I was around 3...my dad planted a maple tree in our backyard.  I remember him digging the hole and holding the tree while he refilled the hole.  That was over 35 years ago and that tree has grown and grown.  This past week it started to come down...not by itself, but with help :) The volume of leaves this tree dumps is daunting!  We raked twice while Mom and Dad were in Arizona last month and got at least a dozen bags each week. And I think they got a couple dozen more the times they raked.  I know Brian & I will miss its shade this summer as our bedroom is in the back where it was! I think we may get blinds for the windows since the curtains don't keep the heat out like the blinds do.  Here are some pictures of the progress of the tree coming down.  I'll have to go through some old boxes of pictures after the holidays and see if I can find any from 35 years ago when it was planted.