Work has resumed at the home site next door on Laurel Street after it was stopped several months ago because of a code violation.

We placed a black bow around the old crepe myrtle tree at the front corner next to us, our passive protest over plans to cut it to make space for a driveway. It is the largest crepe myrtle that I am personally acquainted with and has provided a canopy of shade and light pink blossoms during summer months.

The huge golden raintree on the other side of us that once dominated the sky over our backyard with its shade is gone, too, removed to allow construction of a large camelback addition to the small, one-story house that originally stood there. We will have gone from extreme shade to glaring sun in one year. Adjusting will take some time.

The truth is that we complained about both those trees while they stood there, about always having to clean up the mess someone else’s trees shed. And now we’ll miss those summer pink blossoms and shade in the front and the gold flowers that gently “rain” down in the back yard in September to be followed in October with clusters of reddish seed pods that adorn the green foliage, looking like Chinese paper lanterns.

Life is like that.