This morning I got out into the fresh fresh, rain washed air, still damp and loaded with nourishment from a mysterious and secret recipe, and I walked to and along the creek, and heard an unfamiliar and curious bird song. I wasn’t prepared for that, not having my phone and its Merlin bird app with me — I was trying to be a little bit un-modern.
I heard several bird songs, as it turned out, and saw a flurry of tiny birds on the paved path, scurrying under the privets. There was to be no sunshine today, but I still felt the pull of the reality, “Light of Light, True God of True God,” my own Source of Life.
I looked forward to a lunch date in a short while, so I couldn’t explore as long as I’d have liked; I turned back, along my usual route, past the pineapple guava that I have known and noticed for as long as I can remember. Many huge fruits were on the ground, much larger than anything mine ever produces… probably because it gets full sun all day long. I bent over to pick up one that hadn’t been bruised, but it was hard. Odd, that it hadn’t ripened…. and then I saw, a few feet away, the horror: the whole tree had been hacked to the ground, and I became aware of a large empty space above me.
Construction workers — or was it a demolition crew? — were in the driveway of the property on which the tree had lived, modestly, on the very corner of the lot, where it was not in the way of anything. Maybe a new owner was starting Something New. There the Modern attitude hit me where it had hit the feijoa, the idea we have of thinking that the best way is, Cut it all down and start over.
I looked through my old posts just now for a picture of that tall bush. I had mentioned it several times, but never took its picture. The owner of the property did not live in the house on that property, I learned that much some years ago. I also know that he never appreciated the guava for what it was; he always pruned it at exactly the wrong time, so that it rarely had a chance to show how many fruits all that sunshine could have sweetened to lusciousness.
I did love that tree. A few times I gathered a few of its fruits off the ground, and once my grandson and I picked its blooms to take home and add to our breakfast. I wonder if anyone else in the neighborhood will notice its absence?
Gladsome Lights 
I’m sorry for the loss of the tree, but I must say I’m either astonished or perplexed. Are those flowers actually edible? What do they taste like? Now I’m realizing I’ve never heard of pineapple guava; it’s time for a bit of self-education!
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Oh, yes, they are sublimely edible, so sweet and tropical. My cousin who lives in San Diego County where they thrive, told me once that she likes eating them even more than the fruits. But the fruit has a foxy flavor, if you know what I mean. It is probably my favorite fruit. Each fruit provides two bites max, which keeps my intake at the moderate level. https://gretchenjoanna.com/2022/11/01/november-is-here/ My tree is probably suffering from lack of sun, but the nearby monastery has several that are big producers, so sometimes they give me a basketful.
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The demise of a tree is always sad, more so when it has been summarily chopped down. Our neighbour had chain saws buzzing for three days in a row and I listen with an ache in my heart as the large tipuana tree was reduced to a third of its size. This is especially galling for it is growing in what used to be a part of our garden until we subdivided our property so that our son could build his house there – he now lives abroad.
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Oh, Anne, that must have been painful to hear, and from now on, to try to get used to. 😔
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It’s sad to hear about ‘your’ tree being cut down in what appears to be a random sort of thing to do. I’ve never tasted guava but looking back at your 2022 post I think it must be similar to kiwi (but I really have no idea).
The flowers that it bears are gorgeous!!
The house next door has been sold. I hope the new owners don’t cut down the beautiful red Maple in that front yard. It’s right next to our driveway and is sort of messy at this time of the year but OH it is worth the mess.
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I just checked (again) to confirm that the pineapple guava or feijoa “is not a true guava. Both plants belong to the same botanical family, Myrtaceae, which includes guavas, rose apples, and allspice. However, feijoa (Acca sellowiana) is classified in a different genus than the common guava (Psidium guajava), despite their shared family and similar fruit characteristics.”
To me, it does not taste like kiwi, though the texture is similar.
When “your” beautiful maple is in all its color, that is a good time for the house to be sold, so that the new owners can fall in love with its glorious self — we hope!!
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I hate to see a tree come down for “cosmetic” reasons. OK, if it’s dying or ill or absolutely essential. But oh, so sad when it’s just down for what appears to be no reason at all, though it probably was one to the owner.
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I’ll be interested to see what the new landscaping looks like- and hope it’s not something along the lines of the Joni Mitchell song, “…put in a parking lot.”
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This is so sad – and sadly all too common. I adore fejoa
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