Article May 14, 2012 Issue

The pecan tree

Hank Richter

During the month of July, Arizona experiences very forceful winds called monsoons. It was during these high winds that one of our large pecan trees suffered a major broken branch.

Though the fallen limb was still attached to the main trunk, the branch’s leafy end lay on the ground under the tree. I planned to remove the limb and cut it into firewood. 

A few days after the storm, I carried my chain saw out to the tree. As I stood there analyzing the damage, the thought came so strongly and clearly, “Let it be.” So I walked away.