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Mountain View Redwood
Tallest Tree on Ortega Avenue
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Preface: My hiking friend who lives a block away told me about the giant redwood in her
back court. Half of its top was sheared off during a thunderstorm earlier this year.
Now it was deemed unstable and was destined to be chopped down. She measured its base
with a tape to be 21 feet in circumference. On our nature hikes this summer, we've
encountered only two redwoods that's larger— a 30-foot Old Growth Redwood
in Thornewood Open Space Preserve, and a 50-foot redwood in El Corte de Madera Creek.
The first three photos on this page were taken on Tuesday, August 26. Since then,
I've admired it from close-up and afar. This redwood is clearly the tallest tree on the street.
My friend told me that the city would chop it down on Monday, September 29 at 8 am.
When I left for Stanford on Sunday at 2 pm, I could see its top from a long block away
on Showers Drive. When I woke up at 7:45 am Monday to pick up the San Jose Mercury News
on my balcony, I saw it still standing over the Hastings Condos. I had my radio alarm set to 9:20 am
and went back to sleep. I dreamt of a snowstorm and someone telling me about a tall tree
chopped down in Carmel. My alarm didn't come on when I woke suddenly at 9:53 am.
I ran to my door, opened it and saw a giant crane next to the tall Redwood. Suddenly,
it toppled— going straight down. My friend phoned saying I've missed all the
action. I didn't have time to drink my morning coffee and rushed over with my camera.
Below are the photos and haikus for the occasion on the death of the oldest and
tallest member in our neighborhood. Note: At the time when this Redwood was chopped down, Wall Street had their worst one-day plunge— the Dow Jones Industrial Average (DJIA) dropped 777.68 because Congress failed to pass the Bail-out bill.
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Saturday, September 27, 2008, 11:20 am 400 Ortega Avenue, Mountain View Last prayer for soon-to-be chopped Redwood Sequoia sempervirens (Coast Redwood) O giant Redwood tree— top-half sheared off by storm now they'll chop you down. | |
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Monday, September 29, 2008, 9:53 am Mountain View: From my balcony saw tallest Redwood topple across the street at Hastings Square on Ortega Avenue Estimated height: 110 feet tall After waking up— opened my door just in time to see this tree fall! | |
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Monday, September 29, 2008, 10:35 am Mountain View: Hastings Square Mid-sections of chopped-down Redwood Thirty-two main rings with four faint ones in between— over 100 years old? | |
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Monday, September 29, 2008, 10:40 am Mountain View: Hastings Square 33 rings on this Redwood mid-section 33o Highest rank of Freemasonry 33 rings slice from this Redwood— a great gift for a Freemason! | |
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Monday, September 29, 2008, 11:00 am Mountain View: Hastings Square South Bay Crane & Rigging Inc. carting last section of Redwood The last piece of you chopped off and shipped away— Do I hear your pain? | |
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Monday, September 29, 2008, 11:30 am Mountain View: Hastings Square Remaining stump of tall Redwood Yesterday— tallest one on this street— today you're the shortest tree. | |
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| © Peter Y. Chou,
Wisdom Portal P.O. Box 390707, Mountain View, CA 94039 email:  (9-29-2008) |
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