Calgary’s been hit with another disaster-of-sorts – a summer snow storm that snapped trees all across the city. (Heavy, wet snow on leafed-out old trees doesn’t go well).
We’re in clean-up mode now. Power company workers from across the province are working to get power restored to everyone who lost it to tree limbs taking out power lines. Any city worker who knows how to use a chainsaw is cutting and clearing roads and sidewalks. Every arborist is at work on private property, prioritized by safety issues, cutting and stacking, with a plan to return later for final cleanup. In an informal poll at the Calgary Herald, 65% of respondents said they had tree damage. In a city of over a million people, where we work to nurture the tree canopy, that’s a lot of trees.
The impassibility of the city during last year’s flood was from flooded streets and closed bridged; this time it was from trees blocking roads and sidewalks. The sounds are different too. Then it was sirens and helicopters and big trucks. This time? Sirens and big trucks and chainsaws. The mayor said not to be alarmed if we heard chainsaws in the night, and everyone just nodded, as if that was perfectly normal.
Two of our trees were badly damaged (luckily not our beloved apple or pear trees). The neighbour’s power was saved in an emergency arborist session – they’ll be back later to finish, including cutting out three large limbs dangling above our side garden. We have a huge stack of branches between the garage and the alley. “Imagine,” my husband said, “the biggest stack that would fit. It’s bigger than that.” Plus three other stacks.
I’ve gathered the apples knocked off when we took brooms to the trees to bang off snow. I’ve set them in bags by the sidewalk. Tart, perfect for pie or crisp, sweeten like rhubarb – in case anyone wants to swing by and pick up a bag. These are the good things that come out of disasters – meeting neighours and sharing stormfall apples.
Maureen
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