On December 17, 2020, I wrote: Over the years, I have learned that when the Universe drops a tidbit of information at your feet, it is best to pay attention before you file it away in your brain. If a second piece of data turns up, begin to suspect that you have received it for a reason. Inevitably, the Universe will rap you on the forehead with a third tip before many weeks have passed. I was writing about fig trees then, but I discovered that the same holds true about dogwoods. We have a treasured old American dogwood (Cornus florida) that was mature when we purchased the property. Thirty-one years later, it still looked healthy until two weeks ago, when Jim noticed that the branches, always loose and draping, were hanging lower to the ground. I checked the tree a few days ago and found that from winter wind, ice, or old age, the trunk had split near the base and the tree was perilously close to toppling over. We can’t save the tree and will have to take it down. Perhaps the two dogw...