Port-A-Tree

One of the most memorable smells my husband has ever encountered while doing tree service, was the day he cut down a tall Poplar tree. The tree was leaning precariously over a playground and the owner feared it would topple during a storm, so he called my husband to take it down safely.

As Fred climbed up to examine the tree before beginning the cutting process, he noticed it was hollow. Apparently, a family of raccoons had been using the tree as a home in months past. (Don't worry, they were no longer in sight so he didn't destroy their home.) When he made the first cut with his saw and let the top down carefully, an awful smell rose from inside the hollow tree and a dark, smelly liquid began oozing from inside. As more cuts were made and the entire tree was felled, the whole neighborhood was filled with the putrid smell of raccoon waste. Generations of raccoon families had obviously been using

this hollow Poplar as a 'port-a-tree'. It takes the word port-a-potty to a whole new level. Literally.