Today we mourn the passing of this formerly magnificent magnolia. She was planted in my front yard around 1926, and was at least 87 years old when she died. She survived a lightning strike, and endured untold freezes, heat waves, and storms of all kinds. She even suffered at least one fungus infection which drove a prior owner to light her insides on fire and then drown her in concrete (a treatment now known to be stupid). However, four years of the worst drought in Texas history ultimately proved to be too much for her. She was the first tree my children learned to climb. She served as a magnet for neighborhood kids, beckoning them to come and play beneath her with twisted arms that bent low to the ground. In her absence, our house feels less like our home, and we will miss her always.
And yes, you’re goddamned right I hugged her.
