The Disappearence

There are trees in my backyard that I consider nusance trees. They are the kind that grow like one huge hedge of mess and you can't tell one individual tree from another. Just many saplings all clustered together for fifty feet or so. The cheif problem tree I would say in the Black Willow (Salix nigra). They are not particularly attractive when mature though I understand they have a natural abundance of salacitic acid as do there cousins the Weeping Willow. Better known as aspirin to the rest of us the substance in these trees served natives and modern adventures well. Simply pull off a twig and suck on the inner bark and sap to alleviate minor aches and pains. It's true!

However I do not need such an abundance of these trees. I have aspirin in my cabinet. During the fall I decided to mow down (even though Mark pointed out the John Deere was not meant for saplings) all the stray Black Willow. Mature Black Willows that are about 7 years old now own the back 75 feet of our property and I thought that enough. These guys were everywhere else and I suceeded in mowing almost all of them down except one very small section.

Every time I tried to mow this one section, approximately five feet in diameter the mower would get hung up and I would have to rock it of the dirt chunk that always seemed to be in my way. One time I had to climb off the mower and push it loose... all this mind you when Mark wasn't looking. So those lucky few saplings had one more winter to laugh at me. In the mean time I've been trying to figure out a new angle.

Here's where the story gets really interesting. There gone! So are all the Black Willows just on the other side of the property line in our new neighbors yard. We know someone bought that house next door and we knew they wanted their property mowed before they moved in. The landscapers obliged but skipped the Black Willows.

Now we never see anyone come or go from the house next door but our backyard has been violated. Ofcourse I feel like I should be greatful they are gone but could someone please tell me why a stranger keep cutting down trees in my yard? (The survey company took down our favorite Tulip Poplar in the fall when they were resurveying the yard for these same mystery neighbors).

I'm afraid it might happen again and I am very sad because I know that very near all of that where two volunteer trees I loved and did not consider nusance, a Post Oak (Quercus stellata) and a Green Ash (can't remember). They surely looked just like sticks and were no higher than 3 feet each. I'm sure they are gone. A moment of silence for those caught in the wrong place at the wrong time.