My ash trees are gone. All 21 of them. It changed the view from the street from this (in 2011)…

…to this.

The company I hired to remove the trees did a marvelous job. They also gave me hardship pricing, bless their hearts. It was still a hard check to write, but based on some other estimates I got that check could have been as much as 2.5 times harder to write.
The crew started on a Saturday, took Sunday off, and finished Monday. This was my back yard on Sunday.

Here’s the same scene on Tuesday, after a fellow came and did final cleanup.

My back yard had previously been heavily shaded, which I always enjoyed. It made for pleasant sitting on the deck on a summer day.

But now it’s bare like brand-new construction. If I planted one good tree about 10 feet out from the deck, it would eventually provide shade. I’m partial to maples, so that’s probably what I’d do. If I ever get to it; there are so many other home projects that are more important right now.

While I’ll miss the backyard shade, I will not miss the tree that used to hang over my driveway. Birds loved to nest in it. They pooped mercilessly onto my cars.

My poor cars. Those dirty birds.