Looking up

This is what you see if you look up in my backyard. A big Norway maple (Acer platanoides). Its probably 85 years old, like our house (built around 1920). Web pages list many undesirable qualities of this tree (shallow, fibrous root system and dense shade make it virtually impossible for grass to grow under it; a non-native exotic that has escaped the urban environment and is a threat to native maples). Nevertheless, it gives us cool shade, privacy from adjacent homes and it shelters many squirrels and birds.