Goodbye To A Farm Friend

Sunday evening showed some wicked weather here in Kansas.  We had a storm blow through town that left trees uprooted and roofs ripped from buildings.  After the storm we headed out to the farm to check in on the new baby calf.  While out there, we found this:

This tree was blown over, landing on the 100 year old farm house that my brother and his wife are remodeling. Luckily they had not really gotten going on it.  The windows were all knocked out as well as a bit of roof damage.
This tree was huge.  Today while I was out taking pictures, I got a bit sad seeing that old tree laying there, getting ready to be turned to firewood.

Imagine all the new life that tree has seen, from the many generations of chirping baby birds in its branches, little squirrels racing around to the little squalling newborn bundles being taken carefully from the car into the house.  It saw my dad and his brothers and sisters growing up, and perhaps even my grandfather, and his siblings.  It used to have a swing on it, and I used to love swinging waaaayyyy up high while the adults sat around in the evenings and talked till dark. (Someone was swinging on that swing when it finally gave out, but I can't remember who it was? Shawn, maybe?)   If that tree could talk, I know it would never have told the "cousin secrets" that were whispered while we sat underneath in it's cool shade.  It was a great climbing tree, with branches that reached way out, but not too high up.    It watched many games of basketball and many "old guys" hobbling back underneath it's shade after those games. 

It will be weird not seeing it out there anymore.  I wish we could see and hear all the stories that tree could tell.

I sure am going to miss it!