Yippee - it's gone.

[michaelmorris]

My eastern horizon has always been blighted by what I have named The Sycamore Doom. A whopping great tree that blocked out everything from ENE to SE. Now it has gone! :-) YIPPEE!!?! :-)

[Uranium235]

Treemageddon!!!

Best to check whether they are pulling out the stump too, Sycamore tends to grow back (I regard it as a weed).

[bingevader]

A weed is only a plant in the wrong place.

I love mine, blots out NE to NW.

Full of birds and buzzing with insects.

[michael.h.f.wilkinson]

A tree gone can make such a difference. I felled our plum tree, which means the entire west is much more open. I have just captured some late sunshine that would have been impossible with the tree still there

[RichM63]

But what about the block of flats that are going up in its place?

 Rich

[Stargazer33]

So how did you do it Michael? Come on own up and they'll go easy on you! 

[Demonperformer]

6 minutes ago, RichM63 said:

But what about the block of flats that are going up in its place?

 Rich

Or maybe a "light sculpture", shining lots of pretty coloured lights into the sky ...

[Moonshane]

Same here. A 30' high row of Leyland ii gone! Although there's always a but - their insecurity light will be more glaring when on. This view is toward the peak district my darker sky though. They were nearly twice the height of their garage!

[Mr Spock]

Feels good doesn't it. I was the same when the two massive Leylandii which covered west to north to zenith were cut down.

The only snag I found is they were hiding a streetlight...

[DRT]

There are five Leylandii along the eastern boundary of our garden that completely block that area of sky. Thankfully, they also block out the neighbours from hell, which is some consolation

 

[barkis]

My next door neighbour has a front garden choca bloc  with  Leylandi and out of control shrubbery which are about twelve feet high.  An absolute jungle it is.  I'm sure I am deprived  of sunlight on my front lawn,  albeit North facing,  it would receive a lot of late afternoon  and evening  sun,  we're this horror show gone. Also,  I believe the sap,  and possibly the roots of those trees and shrubs,  are contributing to the plethora of Moss invading the lawn too. I do like a lawn in my garden,  but it is so poor,  and unattractive,  I'm considering digging it up,  and putting pave and gravel feature in it's place. Not a remedy I'm keen on,  but seems the only solution.  Luckily,  my obsy in the back garden has good access to East Southern,  and Western skies. 

[laudropb]

Always nice to get a bit more sky to view. I have taken down 10 trees in the past year, but unfortunately the largest one on my east is in a neighbours garden.

[barkis]

2 hours ago, Moonshane said:

Same here. A 30' high row of Leyland ii gone! Although there's always a but - their insecurity light will be more glaring when on. This view is toward the peak district my darker sky though. They were nearly twice the height of their garage!

Is that a Hot tub under that Gazebo Shane? 
I went to massive Garden Centre yesterday, to buy a couple of Goldfish to add to garden pond, and 
spent some time looking around.  I did see Hot Tubs for sale, but I'm pleased I don't have an interest in buying one.
The price of some of them floored me, I'll stick to jumping in the Shower or Bath thank you very much.
There were some cheaper ones,, but a pre formed fish pond would suffice, but the really expensive ones  were a different animal.
Veritable swimming pools they were, and complete with massagers built in, and other refinements,  I hadn't a clue what they were for.
I think your explanation of what's under the Gazebo will be a lot different than my guess though .

[DRT]

56 minutes ago, barkis said:

Is that a Hot tub under that Gazebo Shane?

That's not a Hot Tub under there - it's the rocker box for his latest truss dob!

 

[Moonshane]

Lol. Neither I'm afraid!  just  standard rattan type furniture

 

They confirmed earlier that they will be putting up a new fence too and that the build has blown in the insecurity light so happy days

[Moonshane]

Oh and ps his dad said he has a scope so invited him round I'd he ever sees me out

[Davey-T]

I've got two Leyandii and another tree a couple of doors away gradually eroding my southern view, Scorpius is no more Sagittarius is fading fast and they're heading up to Ophicus 

Dave

[Alien 13]

I feel sad when a tree dies much better to move house.

Alan

[JamesF]

I hate sycamore.  It's an invasive weed that smothers other smaller or slower-growing trees.  We have quite a few of them here.  I'm gradually cutting them down to use for firewood.  I do plant a tree for every one I cut down, but I'm a little more choosy about what I plant.  I might leave one, perhaps two, but that's quite enough.

James

[michaelmorris]

Sycamore is not a native species, so I'm not sad about it at all.

My all sky meteor camera was placed so that it was in apart of the sky blocked from view by the sycamore, so I'm now going to have to move it.    I think I've sorted out where it can go.  

If I cut back my crab apple tree (which is to the NW of the observatory) in the autumn, hopefully my neighbour may take the hint and cut back his bay tree that blocks my western horizon.

[KenG]

Feel so sorry for all you guys with your leylandii. Surrounding my house are 70' pines, an 80' oak tree and an American Redwood - about 95' at present - so backyard astronomy is restricted to gaps in between the branches. Luckily, twenty minutes up the road, there are radio masts on an accessible elevated site, dark and with 360 degree field of view (apart from the masts). As they say - win some, loose some.

[sheeprug]

On 18/06/2016 at 20:24, JamesF said:

I hate sycamore.  It's an invasive weed that smothers other smaller or slower-growing trees.  We have quite a few of them here.  I'm gradually cutting them down to use for firewood.  I do plant a tree for every one I cut down, but I'm a little more choosy about what I plant.  I might leave one, perhaps two, but that's quite enough.

James

Oh I agree - common sycamore is a horrible tree - though there are some varieties of maple that are somewhat similar without the vices.   BUT it is rather wonderful wood for my other hobby of wood-turning (you have to do something on cloudy nights).  So if anybody near me (Ipswich area) is doing any 'weeding', and would like to do a deal on freshly cut sycamore, PM me! 

SR.

[JamesF]

2 hours ago, sheeprug said:

Oh I agree - common sycamore is a horrible tree - though there are some varieties of maple that are somewhat similar without the vices.   BUT it is rather wonderful wood for my other hobby of wood-turning (you have to do something on cloudy nights).  So if anybody near me (Ipswich area) is doing any 'weeding', and would like to do a deal on freshly cut sycamore, PM me! 

SR.

Indeed.  I've seen some very attractive furniture made from sycamore, too.

As well as "common" sycamore we also have a variegated maple and a red-leaved maple in the garden that are both very decorative and nowhere near as invasive.  Sadly the variegated one has to go because it's too close to the foundations of a building, but the other will certainly stay.

James

[happy-kat]

I hope the tree surgeon did a wildlife survey first. Wrong time of year to take a tree out so a survey was essential.

[Charic]

I have some stunning views around my part of the World, but very restricted  from my observatory?

The only consolation I have is that  due to my local restricted views, I can only view overhead, encompassing Ursa major to Casseopiae, but at least the atmosphere above me is at its shortest depth ?