weekend splurge

We just got back from some Sunday morning shopping. We had to be back by noon so Mr. Savvy could catch the Packers game (naturally), but we still managed to squeeze in a pretty awesome purchase.... a new tree! We bought an Autumn Purple White Ash, chosen for it's fast growth rate, tall height, large canopy, beautiful colors, ability to grow in sandy soil, and because it needs very little pruning and maintenance. I'm so excited, I've wanted a new tree for our back yard ever since we had to take out a 100-year-old silver maple that was struck by lightening. I love trees. They can make or break a property and provide tons of wonderful shade in the summer, saving on cooling costs. We've cut down about a dozen trees, none of which were particularly suited for where they were planted, since we moved into our house a little over four years ago, and it is time we start strategically replacing some of those with trees that are more suitable to the location and our needs. We ended up paying about $140 a 18-foot tall tree, and we skipped delivery and will plant it ourselves. It was worth it to me to spend a little more for a good quality and more mature tree that will provide shade sooner, rather than later.