Albuquerque resident Jolynn Maestas says she heard a loud noise Feb. 22, then found the cause was something that held family ties.
“It just sounded like a boom," she said in a story by KOAT.
High winds Feb. 22 toppled trees, about 10 in all around Albuquerque, according to the city, including one belonging to Maestas’ family.
“My grandmother's tree. This blue spruce fell in the wind," Ryan Maestas told KOAT. "It came with the house almost 70 years ago."
After the blue spruce fell in the road, the city helped move it back onto the property; however, because the tree fell from the property of Maestas' 87-year-old grandmother, it was the family's responsibility to get rid of it.
Fortunately, the entire family came together to remove the tree and clean up the yard.
“My little brother, Gavin, my mom's boyfriend, Joe. It’s a family affair, trying to get the yard cleaned up," he said.
The tree held many family memories.
“We played a lot of games here," Maestas said about his grandmother's yard. "Typical childhood games. Hide and seek, tag and whatever else you come up with as kids. Whether it's the holidays, summertime, after school."
The fallen tree was a sorrowful event for the family, Maestas added.
"It's really sad," he said. "We honestly thought it was one of my mom's trees, one of our elms, and we never thought the spruce would have been the tree that came down. It’s sad but I know things happen sometimes."
Although the family is saddened that they lost the tree, Maestas said, it is thankful the tree didn't damage the home or cause injuries.