Farewell to a tree: An ancient maple held memories, sons, and wildlife

As I write this, there is thunder all about my house. Limbs as heavy as anvils are hammering to earth as the massive silver maple in the front yard is painstakingly deconstructed by a tireless team of arborists.

I didn’t come to this decision lightly. The tree was here when I moved in, many years ago. The previous owner, already advanced in years, told me that