The Ash Tree

I noticed it outside my kitchen window.
A large tree, that is close to our deck, was not looking very healthy.
A small area of discoloration was seen on the trunk.
Pieces of bark were all around the base of the tree.

The small area soon became much larger as days went by.
The bark took on a grayish tone.
Some of the branches were bare.
I mentioned it to my husband.

Since the tree was close to the deck and the house, I suggested we call our tree service.
We have used this particular service for years.
When you live with woods around you, it is inevitable that some trees will need attention.
My husband and I walked around our property to survey our trees.

There was another tree that could be seen from my side porch.
It had a long split in the bark.
I never remembered seeing that split before.
Neither did my husband.

We noticed a dead tree between our house and our neighbor.
My husband said that he would pay to take that down, with their permission.
One strong wind and the tree could fall in the direction of either driveway.
It could land on a car that might be parked there.

The owner of the tree service came out to inspect our trees.
My husband and the owner walked our property.
He went right to the tree with the discoloration and the bark around the base.
He has seen this kind of thing before.

This is an ash tree, he told my husband.
The ash trees are prone to a certain insect that will do this to the tree, he continued.
The insect is called an ash borer, he explained.
There is still life in your tree  but it does have this insect inside.

The ash borer is not the reason for the falling bark, he continued.
The bark is falling because of the woodpeckers.
The woodpeckers are trying to get to the bugs that are inside the tree.
It is up to you whether or not you want to take the tree down, he explained.

My husband asked about the other tree with the long split down the bark.
This tree has been struck by lightning; twice, he said in a matter of fact tone.
My husband relayed all of this information to me when he came inside.
I want them down, I said and my husband agreed.

The ash borer is able to kill the ash trees, regardless of their health, age, or size.
It has already killed hundreds of millions of ash trees since October, 2018, I discovered.
If our tree had been in our woods, it would not be as urgent for it to come down.
However, since the tree is close to our deck and could hit our house, it needs to be removed.

As far as the tree that has been struck twice by lightning, I want that one down as well.
I remember a night, not too long ago when I heard a loud clap during a storm.
My husband and I looked outside, but saw nothing.
Thankfully, the tree did not fall nor did it catch fire, but two times is enough.

Catch for us the foxes, the little foxes that ruin the vineyards, our vineyards that are in bloom. (Song of Songs 2:15)

An insect is living in our ash tree.
We cannot see it, but we can see the affect it has on our tree.
Somehow, the woodpeckers know the ash borer is inside.
The woodpeckers are doing their best to peck at the bark to get at the insect.

Little foxes.
Small things that seem innocent enough, yet wreak havoc.
Small things that, though unseen, cause damage and destruction.
Insidious things that can only be seen by the affect they have on the thing they inhabit.

A tree, a life, a marriage, or a relationship between parent and child, has little foxes.
Little hidden things that eat away from the inside.
Little hidden things that ruin the growth.
Get rid of them!

The arborist said our tree still has life in it.
With his wealth of knowledge and experience, perhaps he is right.
For now.
But how long will our ash tree stand?

What strong wind will fell the tree?
How long will it remain healthy when it is being attacked from the inside?
Our other neighbor just had five ash trees taken down for the same reason.
She told me that the ash borer removes the water from the tree; it sucks the life away.

Dry.
Brittle.
Destruction from the inside, even if the outside appears to be fine.
Those insidious little foxes.

What little foxes do you have to remove?
What insidious thing is wreaking havoc in some area of your life from the inside out?
Deal with it, while you can.
The appearance of vitality is not necessarily true and will not last forever.