A lonely tree

I pass this tree infrequently, but when I do I'm reminded of my youth, when I was just 3 ft. and some inches tall. Those were the days when I went to school at Logan Elementary. This tree had a brother and they were half the size this picture is showing the tree today before some really smart person tried to prune one of them and completely distroyed it. I guess out of ugliness, it was decided that the tree should be taken down. It didn't seem it was going to grow back the branches that the gardener had hacked away. It lasted for quite some time that way before it eventually met its fate. This tree gives a considerable amount of relief from the sun during those hot summer days. I wouldn't know, of course, because I don't live in the houses behind it. But I would imagine that sitting outside in the yard during those hot summer's eves would be refreshing from the shadow this tall tree casts on the yard.

Back in the 70's I thought it was tall when it was just reaching the electrical wires. Now look at it.