Joyce Smith will miss the Colorado spruce planted in her yard 30 years ago as a birthday gift, but she is happy knowing thousands of people will get to appreciate it this holiday season.

“It’s going out in a blaze of glory,” said Joyce Smith.

A Portland Public Works crew Wednesday felled the giant tree Smith donated as a Christmas tree to be lighted at 5 p.m. on Nov. 28 in Monument Square. It will be decorated with up to 3,000 LED lights.

Smith and her family have an invitation to attend the ceremony. “The tree is perfect. I can see it in Monument Square,” Smith said before it was trucked away from her Main Street lawn.

Smith and her daughter, Michelle Merrifield of Westbrook, planted the tree together when it was a little more than knee high. It was taller than a telephone pole when it was removed from her yard Wednesday morning.

“I’ll surely miss it,” Smith said.

Jeff Tarling of Portland’s forestry operations described the 45-foot tree as ideal. He said it was picked from 15 trees, including another from Gorham.

“It’s got a great shape,” Tarling said. “It’s really a full tree.”

Cutting of the tree drew attention from passersby and neighbors who braved the morning chill to watch. Gorham Police Chief Ron Shepard and Officer Mark Sanborn directed traffic while crews worked.

Before Portland’s forestry supervisor Charlie Shannon cut the tree with a chain saw, Chris Ingram was hoisted aloft by a crane to attach a cable so the crane could pluck the tree and lower it to a waiting low bed trailer.

Tarling said Keeley Crane Service donated the crane and Maietta Construction donated use of a truck and trailer to transport the tree, which had a police escort to Portland.

The spruce once served as a living Christmas tree on Smith’s lawn, but she said it hadn’t been decorated for years because of the height it had reached. Smith said the tree muffled noise from passing traffic and birds would miss it.

“It’s going to be sad,” she said peering from a window before the Portland crew arrived. “I look at it every morning.”

(4455) (4463) – A 45-foot spruce is gently lowered to a trailer in Gorham for a trip to Monument Square in Portland.(4471) (4472)