In which the gods of winter exact tribute

Back aways, when we moved into this house, Yule came, as it always does at a certain time of year, and we were broke, as we often are at the same season.  Steve was working at the computer store at the time, and on Christmas Eve, his boss came through with a totally unexpected Cash Bonus.

So!  After the computer shop closed for the holiday, we went to the grocery store, bought a celebratory dinner, and, in order to add some green goodwill to the house, we also bought a little cedar tree in a pot, with a tinfoil star on top.  It was a nice little presence in the kitchen over the winter, and when spring came, we planted it outside our bedroom window.

Against, I think, everybody's expectations -- I include the cedar tree itself in this -- the little tree grew into quite a large tree; became the nesting tree for several generations of birds; breathed its wonderful aroma into our window on hot summer nights, and soothed us to sleep.

I just walked into the bedroom and noticed something wrong with the window.  I thought the cats had been at the shade, but when I looked out, I realized what had happened.

Today's snowfall has taken the cedar tree; it's lying, trunk-broken, on the ground.

I'm. . .kind of sad about this.