Tree Lover Earl Plato

Last year I received a delightful letter from Ms. Helen Hardwicke of Depew Avenue, Niagara falls. This is what she wrote:
“Dear Earl: As one of your readers I want to thank you for the delightful stories - one particular entry “Beloved Tree Gone” - hit a nerve. People these days are so quick to move to a different location and immediately “cut down the trees!” My son and I have just a city lot - but we have some 22 trees - big and small. All have been grown from seed. He started about 38 years ago collecting walnuts and chestnuts. Birds and squirrels have helped along with buckets of acorns from a golf course and lots of leaves and maintenance. We really love each one!
Because of the shade our flowers are “woodsy” - violets - silver dollars - lots of ferns etc. even thistles. Keep up the writing. Helen Hardwicke”
Helen sends us a photo of her son and an oak “slice.” She says, “These slices were cut and saved with permission by my son after someone left an oak stump.” She adds “maybe table tops” (possible use.)
We are sure that Helen’s son didn’t cut down the oak. They both believe in preserving our trees as long as they are healthy. The Hardwicke “slice” looks healthy. Why cut down an oak anyways? They take years to grow. On Dominion Road and South Mill Street two huge maple trees were cut down recently. I was upset for these trees were each probably over a hundred years. Once down you could see why they had been felled. The interiors of the trees were infested by insects and rotten. Structurally these huge trees were weak and in time could do serious damage to houses and even humans. That’s different than cutting down healthy live trees. Moving? Take a look at the trees on your new lot. They should be worth saving for many reasons. Picture your new location without trees before removing any. On the other hand if your building lot has no trees on it think about people like the Hardwickes who have a “love affair” with their trees. Plant trees in 2002 just because you like trees or in memory of loved ones, eh. Not a bad idea.
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Scope time, Earl? Marci Jacklin of Brock University keeps us abreast of bird findings through E-mails. Thanks Marci. Only one problem for me. My Nikon bird binoculars, as good as they are, makes me want to move up to a bird scope. Elaine and I were at Windmill Point on Lake Erie in November when three separate birders appeared with their scopes and set up viewing. Sixty Tundra swans were in the bay. With their scopes you could pick out their feathers on their breasts. Amazing. Wait! These were expensive scopes Swarovski and the like. Too expensive for this amateur birder.
John Lessle of Buffalo told me, “ Earl, you don’t need to spend that much money.” He sent me a Mead Telescope catalogue with prices in U.S.A. at least half the Canadian prices. He marked several that would be good for my aging eyes. Internet! London, Ontario carries all the Mead products in Canadian prices shipped from California. Interesting. Marcy Jacklin reminded me that they are only ‘toys.’ I take that as advice to go easy with my money. I am looking. My annual duck watches on the Niagara River are coming up. I want to see that Arctic duck, Old Squaw, up close at Niagara-on-the-Lake. Elaine. I need a scope.