Gophers invaded my yard.
I had seen the mounds in the neighbor’s yard behind mine.
The gopher mounds appeared day after day.
Now they were feasting on the roots of my trumpet vines, trees, and even native poppies and globe mallow.
It could have been overwhelming if I let it.
Dead Tree
Last year the gophers ate the roots of the Mimosa tree, and it died.
I mourned its loss, missing the showy pink flowers in the warm weather.
This year, I reluctantly faced the fact that I had to remove what was left of the tree. I wondered if I could do it myself, or if I was going to have to hire someone to remove it and haul it away.
I love gardening and taking care of my yard. I can do most things.
While open to getting help, I find I need very little help. I feel it is easier in most cases for me to do it myself.
The reality is that sometimes it is easier for me to do it myself and sometimes I am fooling myself.
However, I delight in finding out how easy it can be when I let it.
Easy Tree Removal
I discovered that taking one action after another, this tree removal unfolded step by step.
There was no sense of overwhelm.
I did not rush things.
I did not have to figure it out. I did not need to put out any effort on my part.
I simply following what was presented to me, as much as I wanted to do in the moment.
I let it be easy.
I started with testing how solid the tree was in the ground. Not surprisingly, I discovered the roots were all gone because the tree trunk leaned with a small push by my hand.
Great! One more push, and it fell over; the tree was out of the ground.
That was easy.
Now, how am I going to dispose of this dead tree?
I let the answer come to me. I wanted it to continue to be easy.
The Gift of Easy
The next day, on my walk, I discovered that a neighbor on the corner had a huge dumpster delivered to their yard.
I had seen piles of branches in the front yard, and figured he was going to put them in the trash bin bit by bit. But, no, there were so many that they ordered a big dumpster.
Was this the answer? Was I being provided a place to deposit the tree and branches, getting them out of my yard?
It seemed so.
It was easy.
It was timely.
It was close.
I considered taking the branches and tree trunk and depositing them early in the morning when nobody was around. However, the moral voice inside told me to ask first.
I am not the type to walk up to a door and knock on it to ask, so I waited.
The next day, my morning walk was about an hour later than usual, instead of when nearly nobody is up and around. Rounding the corner of the neighbor with the dumpster, I started up the hill towards my house.
I noticed people standing next to the dumpster!
I greeted them with “good morning.” Then I stopped, because I recognized Andrew, and he recognized me. We talked a little and he introduced me to Susan, who is the owner of the corner property.
I could barely contain my surprise at this opportunity!
Could it be this easy?
Would I seize the moment and ask, since it is right in front of me?
Of course! I could not let this opportunity slip away!
It would not be the easy path to walk away and then have to come back and ask. Not asking now was not the easy way. Could I make asking easy?
Swallowing any hesitation, I went ahead and asked. I was as casual as I could be.
I asked Susan if I could put a few branches in their dumpster.
She said yes!
And that was that.
That was easy.
That was fast.
That was me getting rid of the tree by letting the way be shown to me.
The easy way.
The way of accepting help.
The way presented right now.
I immediately went home, gathered the trunk and branches, and put them in the dumpster.
The back yard is now that much more cleaned up. It all was easy.
You ask, what about the gophers? Did you prevent them from destroying other trees and plants in your back yard?
The story of how I got the answers for the gopher invasion is another unfolding of being shown how to do it. It is a story for another time.
