Mayday! We have a tree down!

I hoped like crazy that it would rain yesterday.  Austin needed some rain and I've been fighting a cold.  I'm feverish, sweaty, can't taste or smell anything, and am a sneezing machine.  I had no interest in watering but knew I'd have to soon since it's 100 degrees around here daily.  Well, I got my wish, and more.  It rained, it thundered, it brought winds reported up to 60 mph.  Sadly, there was a casualty in this over-an-inch-of-rain tempest: The Little Tree That Couldn't.

The Chinese Elm to the right of my yard didn't survive.  Rather, it fell against the house!  I am so lucky it didn't cause structural damage to the house nor hit my car, which was not in the garage.  Now, I had no idea it had fallen until some nice neighbor knocked on the door.  Do I answer nice neighbor?  No, I freak out, because it's 10 PM and I'm alone at home because Matt's in San Diego for work.  I tried to call him then but his ringer was accidentally set to silent.  Marielle answered, I felt better.  I got off the phone, opened the door, and found myself face-to-face with a tree.  Its branches extended right to the entrance.  I finally got a hold of Matt, felt so much better just hearing his voice, and we arranged next steps in dealing with it.

This morning, an arborist came by and said the tree didn't have good roots at all, he showed me, and that it's a good thing it didn't fall later in its life when it would have been bigger!  A mixed blessing?  Reluctantly, I must admit that it is, though I will miss having that tree there.  He is coming back this afternoon to take it away and then we'll see if any damage was done to the house at all.  Insurance is also coming by.

Morals of the story?  Don't plant Chinese Elms, they are loser trees.  And boyfriends shouldn't go out of town because then their girlfriends get sick and trees uproot themselves...okay, okay, strike that.  But I can't wait for Matt to get home!