The spirit oak cut back

Here’s my giant spirit oak after the power company contractors cut it away from the power line — The Universe sends me tree cutters.  I’ve got a great open space now and sunshine for my turk’s cap and arbicola along the privacy fence beneath it to grow. It’s the only spot in the back of the property that has sunshine and it’s got lots now. There’s also a perfect cut branch for me to mount a platform for a tree house. It’ll look right down into the grouchy neighbor’s enclosed pool area and living room. Better than tv!  

This is a cool place to pitch a tent.  With the back to the privacy fence (shown here on the left), I’m looking into the pine, oak and palmetto woods which back up to my east garden. I see only woods if my tent is pitched here. Previously the oak tree branches hung too low to have a fire under, but now it’s open.  That’s a natural mound of oak leaf and branch mulch to the right under the shade in the dapple of sunlight, the armadillos and possums and raccoons are always digging through the yard so they keep this area dug up and aerated, perfect for a garden.   I just went out and planted and watered in the cuttings I made two days ago.  This shady spot also used to be “the plant nursery” where I’d transplant all the tree saplings growing in the yard. I gave away four dozen loquat saplings last year!

Recently I’ve been Opening the View and Letting in the Light, cutting back hedges I’ve let thicken over the decades. I’ve been enjoying the expanded view but since my entire home is under a deep oak canopy, I have been craving more light.  I’m not tired of my house yet — I’ve been in it 30 years this year — so I don’t want to move.  When I cut the eleagnus hedge surrounding my back porch a few months ago, I opened up a view of the backyard I’d never seen.

This week, the tree cutters did the same thing by cutting all the tall trees under the power line.  As I sit in the living room, I can look out and see the northern sky.  I’ll now be able to watch each NASA launch from my recliner, as well as see fireworks on the 4th of July without going outside in the street.

I love that I can live in my same place and it can be created anew every time I am ready for a change.  And sometimes, like this week, the Universe orchestrates the entire job for me.