Sweetness and Gall

Photo credit here.

J and I surveyed the damage from the pine in the early morning light. Later in the day inspections confirmed the ramp and gutter damage, but part of the facia board and some places on the roof sustained damage, too. The “kaboom” of the tree’s felling turned out to be its bounce. From what we can tell, as the momentum stopped, part of the trunk hit the ground, splattered debris along the right side of the house and left a perfect imprint of itself a foot in front of the hedge. The bounce took it toward the road to its final resting place. Maybe the torn cables encouraged its “away-from-the-house” trajectory.

We discovered our insurance deductibles vary depending on the cause of damage to the house. Surprise! So the damage from the tree may cost us twice the amount of having taken the tree down to begin with. Lesson learned, I guess. 

 

The pine remains fragrant and as I walked around it this afternoon, the pine scent mixing with the tulip magnolia’s perfume was a lovely serendipity. I stood there: A mangled tree, mangled roof, mangled cable lines dropped by some toddler-giant forgetting himself as the next, better toy called. My eyes viewing mud, pine branches, rotted roots and then my nose caught the sweet scent of spring married with winter’s cologne – a birth brought out of death – a phoenix rising. 

 

As with many posts, I don’t know where I will go once I start, and often I have to start to know where I was meant to go in the first place. I think tonight I need the reminder to pay attention through all my senses – to not miss the sweetness while taking in all the gall. 

 

3/10/25