Pest- eaten, dying tree cut for good of dad’s home
Another ash tree fell this month. Few people will notice. It’s one of millions that have fallen across the United States in the past 15 years.
It died a slow death at the hands (and mouths) of bright-green little bugs called emerald ash borers. And it came down with a thud after a few cuts of my chain saw.
That capped a project to clean up Dad’s yard at the family farm and protect his house from surrounding trees.
On this hill in northeastern Ohio, summertime sun blisters paint on the buildings erected by my great-greatgrandfather. Shade is a blessing.
It was even more coveted in the days before air conditioning, which no doubt contributed to the decision by my ancestors to allow silver maples to dominate the yard.
They grew tall quickly and shaded the house. And decades later, they threaten the house.
Brittle silver maples shed limbs like our cats shed fur. On the wind-swept hill, there is constant worry about a big, old limb flying through the roof. So, once a decade or so, we hire an Amish neighbor and his crew to trim and top the trees.
They use chain saws and an engine-driven chipper to cut the branches and grind up the trimmings.
One lucky tree trimmer rides in a motor-powered lift that reaches up to 80 feet. The other uses ropes to climb.
I watched in awe as that
Renters, of course, must find a pet-friendly apartment. And condominium buyers must find an association that allows pets. Those simple goals aren’t easily achieved: 61 percent said it is difficult or very difficult to find an apartment or condo community that welcomes pets, according to the Realtors report.
Jenkins said Champ was his “main obstacle” to finding an apartment when he moved from Dayton to Columbus two years ago. He hit pay dirt with a Brewery District apartment that has direct access to the outdoors.
Now, he is discovering what other pet owners have found: Pets present another set of challenges when their owners are shopping for a home to buy.
The most important feature desired by pet owners is a fenced-in yard, which 91 percent of pet owners seek, according to the study. Other desirable features include laminate flooring, a dog door and a washing station.
For home shoppers Rebecca and Garrett Longsmith, a big yard is a necessity for their standard poodles, Maya and Murphy.
“We wouldn’t buy a home with a small yard,” said Rebecca, 25. “We even put a minimum on the lot size of 7,500 square feet.”
The two, who now live in Dublin, have focused their search near Rebecca’s job in Delaware so she can come home at lunch and let the dogs out. So far the search has been challenging. Not only are there few homes at their target price of $200,000, but the requirement of a big yard rules out many older homes in the city.
“It does somewhat limit what we’re looking at,” Rebecca said. “The houses in downtown Delaware are on much smaller lots, so we tend to stay in those areas that are newer.”
A year ago, Eddie Kinnaman was where the Longsmiths are today. He was shopping for his first house and needed a large yard for his four cats, along with a porch that would allow them to go outside in the rain.
“It was a big factor,” said Kinnaman, 38. “I looked at about 10 houses before I found the right one.”
In May, Kinnaman found the ideal spot in North Linden, complete with front porch and backyard.
As he expected, the porch and yard are the favorite hangs for his feline charges — Billie, Flipper, Peanut and Ty.
The importance of pets extends beyond the property itself: 62 percent of households with pets say it’s important to live in a pet-friendly neighborhood that might have a walking path, dog park or nearby pet store.
Kinnaman, for example, wanted a quiet street to minimize the chance of his cats being hit by a car. And the Longsmiths would like their new home to be in a neighborhood with sidewalks, so they can walk Maya and Murphy.
The Longsmiths also want a fenced-in yard, but Rebecca said they can add that later if the yard and price are right.
They wouldn’t be alone. The study found that 52 percent of homeowners renovated their house in some way to accommodate their pets. The most popular change, in fact, is building a fence (23 percent), followed by adding a dog door (12 percent) and installing laminate flooring (10 percent).
The influence of pets extends to selling the house: 67 percent of real-estate agents surveyed said pets can affect a home’s sale. Agents advise sellers to repair any damage caused by pets and to eliminate any pet odors before showing the home.
So what about simply dumping the pet to make the home search easier?
Rebbecca Longsmith no doubt speaks for most pet owners: “Getting rid of it is not an option.”