Missed By That Much

My standard line about my job is that it is very cushy, except when it's not. Last night was a combination of cushy and scary... lower New York State was on the verge of the storm which battered Virginia. We experienced winds speeds up to 50 mph (about 80 kph), accompanied by intermittent torrential rains. I usually spend a lot of time on the job outdoors (typically anywhere from one-quarter to two-thirds of my shift, depending on job duties and weather conditions), but while dangerous conditions prevail, I limit my exposure to harm. Last night, I only conducted two inspection tours of the property. So, it was a cushy night (I sat in my office drinking coffee and writing) with some scary episodes (I had limited exposure to some very inclement conditions).

All over the grounds, there were branches downed by the wind... then I came across this behemoth:

I'm not good at identifying trees by their bark, and the poor thing has been denuded of leaves for months, but I think it might have been a maple, judging from the bulk of the leaf litter. As you can see, it missed hitting one of our company vehicles, a pickup truck used by our grounds and maintenance staff, by a very small distance. If the tree had fallen at a slightly different angle, it would have smashed this truck and two company vans. As individuals, and as an organization, we were very lucky indeed.

I believe Don Adams has the best characterization of this sort of thing:





This tree fell down in a particularly nice section of the property, situated by a pretty wetland that teems with birdlife and a nice spot to take a break on the job with some friends. I wish I could remember what sort of tree this fallen behemoth had been, it seems a bit disrespectful not to remember.