Our neighbour has decided that he wants to replace the chain link fence between our yards. The fence is old, several posts having rusted through entirely, so I do kind of understand him. To that end he’s taken down four trees – all on his side of the fence so I can’t object but I’m still sad to see them go. We used to have a green wall on that side of the garden; now we have free views not just into his garden but across the street and into the homes over there.

What really pissed me off is that one of those trees he felled towards our garden, and it crushed most of my baby plum tree. The one that I waited half a year just to get delivered, and then two years to establish and start growing. I didn’t even get an apology – not even a note in the mailbox. Eric noticed the broken tree; I investigated and saw the tell-tale sawdust and a handful of maple flowers and twigs.

When I went to the neighbour to complain, his reaction was more or less “whatever”. He offered to pay for a new tree, which I will let him do, but that’s not going to bring back those years of waiting.