Gumbo is comfort food. And I need some comforting.
It's raining and windy outside, courtesy of tropical storm Lee.
Did I mention windy? Not tornado-windy, but gusty just the same. According to @TuscaloosaCity, lots of trees are down.
I don't have a big yard, but it's mine and I like it. Planted absolutely everything in it myself, including this tree. It was just a baby when I got it at the native plant sale in 2007.
It was kinda homely looking, even then -- imagine Charlie Brown's Christmas tree, reincarnated as a eucalyptus. Grew about 20 feet the first year and I have been talking about cutting it down ever since. Just couldn't bring myself to do it. Every year I thought maybe it would branch out. Was going to give it one more year.
Tropical Storm Lee did the job for me. Snapped it right over at the base, just like I would have done. Truth be told, I would have preferred it being totally uprooted, but it wasn't up to me.
It's fall was broken by the cypress tree and shrubs along the fence so there was very little damage. Fence is OK, bottle trees are OK. Bird house just behind the tree is OK. Cypress is OK. All I gotta do now is borrow a chain saw and cut it up. At least it will smell nice.
So now I am making gumbo. Had all the stuff, okra, tomatoes, chicken stock, andouille, onions, peppers, herbs, spices. Gumbo is comfort food and it will make me feel better about losing the tree.
Got three pots on the stove right now. Might have to take some to the bakery tomorrow.
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