It was a difficult decision to make. Harder maybe for me, then for my gardener wife, who understand these things.
Last year I mentioned how a wind storm ripped two large limbs off the poplars at the back of our yard. Fortunately for us, the branches toppled northward, across the fence separating our yard from our nextdoor neighbor. He was very good about it, and we worked together with a chainsaw to cut the wood up and get it off the fence and out of our yards.
But it was a warning, of sorts. The poplars are older, and mature, and had the branches toppled to the southeast, they’d have been on the roof of neighbors behind us.
This view is from behind our house; the gap between the trees shows where the limbs broke loose last October.
If that were to happen, it could get a whole lot more expensive than tree removal. Dave, my assistant brewer, by the way, has lobbied adamantly against the move. “Your trees are one of the best things about this yard!” he scolds me. I agree. I like our trees.
But not enough to risk a big insurance hassle, including removing fallen limbs and reparing a roof.
The leaves fell late last autumn, which reduces the “sail” effect that tore the largest branch loose last year, sending it down onto another branch it ripped loose with it. So we didn’t have to worry about it again last winter, and the summers are mild enough here that when the tree re-foliated, I didn’t worry (too much) about the return of the flying branches.
But our winter storm season is returning, so we got an estimate. Which involved a dollar amount with crooked numbers and a comma, giving me further pause.
But we finally bit the bullet and arranged for the trimmers to come. The cost of complete removal was really high, but we agree to have them topped, and agreed on how far to take them down.
Butchery. I admit it. butchery. And I apologize to the tree gods. My only excuse is monetary. Lucre, filthy lucre!
OmbudsBen 
Oh, that’s so SAD! But better the trees than the roof…I guess.
Just read your post about the poplar limbs and I can see why you opted for topping them.
Well, better to top them than remove them completely – I’m sure they;ll soon put out new green growth (next Spring) to cover the scars. And yes, much better than to risk them falling on the roof and neighbours.
Oh, that is too sad. 😦
Butchery is a good word for topping trees. Still, I understand making that choice. We’ve had to make similar choices with our trees. Some have had to come down (as with the elms that succumbed to Dutch elm disease) and in other cases (and past yards), we’ve topped a few.
Ugly, but a necessary evil. And yeah, I’m sure they’ll grow back healthier than ever next spring. We had two very pretty trees die in our tiny backyard, and it was sad to see them go. But a dead tree is not something I want in my yard.
Saaaaaaaaaad! But I understand. And yes, I am back blogging. Unemployment does that. 😛
Thanks, all, for the notes. But our tree guy, Napoleon, tells me that poplars are so prolific you can take the freshly cut sticks, put them in the ground, and sometimes they will come to life and become trees. So the ods seem good our guys will recover.