As previously mentioned in other blog posts, Gizmo LOVES climbing; trees OR curtains, he’s really not fussy?! There is one tree in our garden that he really loves…our 6m+ tall apple tree next to our kitchen window, that allows Gizmo to look into our next door neighbours garden…

For many years, we have had an abundance of apples from this tree, and eaten MANY apple pies?! But in recent years, the apple crop has diminished, and the tree has looked unsteady in the strong winter winds. So, we decided earlier this year that after the apples had fallen in the autumn, the tree would have to be cut down. (Plus, our insurance company have now insisted that NO trees are within 5m of the house. So as not to risk invalidating our insurance, we decided the apple tree had to go.)

Today was that fateful day. A friend had offered to come and cut the tree down, and take it away for us. So at 9am today, the ordeal began…

We knew that Gizmo would not be happy. This was his favourite tree. He could climb this tree and stare down into Mrs E’s beautiful garden and watch her gang of dogs! He could climb this tree, and chase birds (but luckily, he has never had much luck catching birds from this tree!). He could climb this tree and play hide and seek with me too. But as of this morning, he could no longer climb this tree…

In less than an hour, this tree was reduced to a jumble of huge trunk chunks, big branches, twigs and leaves. Gizmo watched on from inside the house, and he tried to come to terms with the situation. I’ll be honest, he was NOT happy! He looked so unhappy that our friend was concerned that Gizmo was going to go and slash his tyres, or scrape his claws down the side of the truck and trailer?!

But luckily, neither happened. Gizmo just sat stared at the space where the tree WAS, and remembered the happy times he had, staring into Mrs E’s garden… Poor Gizmo, he will have to find another way to spy on the neighbours…