"Garden Envy" ...

we had a 'strong wind' (read 'tornado') come through here
earlier this month that snapped a 2.5 foot in diameter pin
oak off 5 feet from the ground.

Are you and your family OK? I assume so, or you wouldn't be here, but
a tornado is such a scary thing... I'm glad the only tornadoes we get
here come at an average of 1.5 per year for the whole state (Oregon),
and really never amount to nothing stronger than a really impressive
dust devil! I mean, they make the news and occasionally damage things
like roofs and cars, but I don't think there has ever been a recent
case of human or animal loss of life from a tornado.

Shelly