Trees, trees, trees....

Every time I ride by someone's house and see they have cut down all the trees, I ask "WHY???"
Well, we are becoming that house- yikes!!!!  Yet, before you flip! I think it will be ok and a good thing in time.  We are leaving all the pecan trees, but that is about it.  For now the magnolia has survived the tree monster, but I can't promise it will be forever - just sayin!  We do plan on planting trees that are more maintenance free or friendly, some that don't drop pinecones!!!!  We have spent almost every single weekend (the entire weekend, Fri-Sun night) for the past 14 years picking up pinecones and sticks- and we are over it!  Big time over it!! BIG time! (it's worth repeating)

Of course since we have moved here, we have spent every single weekend picking up something and burning it- all weekend - it's amazing the burn piles we have had!! And even though we go to sleep each Saturday and Sunday night completely worn out, we can see the end.  Well the end of pinecones and sticks.

I got to tell you about the man cutting down the trees.  This man is small frame, soft spoken, and strong as an ox - even though it doesn't show.  It is just him, spikes that he straps on, a rope, and a chainsaw!  That's it!  He climbs the tree and cuts limbs as he goes up until he gets to the top, then starts cutting the trunk on his way down!! It is amazing!  I can't do anything when he is here but watch! Watch in amazement, watch in total fear, and watch in pure enjoyment.  I have watched with my mouth dropped and watched thru my fingers, too scared to watch, but curious enough to have to!

Now Parker was a huge part of this ordeal too.  He was the ground man.  He would pull the ropes that helped guide the limbs to fall just in the right place.  This was by no means an easy task.  Then when all pulling was done, with all limbs and trunks left on the ground, he was in charge of removing the debris. (no telling how much those trunk chunks weighed)  He got his workout in for sure - even tho that die hard still hit the gym everyday.  No other normal person would be able to move!

I only took like a gazillion pictures, so I will try and not post too many - forgive me or fast forward if you get bored.  It was just so fascinating! When he was saying his goodbyes, I mentioned I had taken lots of pictures.  He told me he doesn't have one single picture of him doing this - wha?!  Well now he has at least 30.  I think he was really tickled when I gave them to him on Saturday.

Top of tree - and I am zoomed in- he was up there, wind blowing and tree swaying

Do you see him? He is up there with the moon! no joke

Top gone - and I missed the shot of it dropping (I have that skill)

The Man high in the tree, Parker the anchor down below

Tim supervising while Parker lowers the limb.  Luckily due to jury duty, Tim was in town and finally got to witness this

Oh, and he does it all with a cigarette hanging out of his mouth.

OMG!!! This !!!! He took off his harness from around the trunk and crawled out there on that limb!!! Talk about watching thru your fingers!  When he got out there and cut that limb, the one he was also sitting on, it bounced and bounced bad! He had to really hold on not to fall.  Me and Parker were watching in owe and fear.  Parker said "I just hope that branch he is on doesn't break" cause he will be straight down with a running chainsaw. This tree was by the fence, so he was swinging those branches around to avoid landing the the fence.

There he goes cutting!  Oh geez, to look or not to look!

But he made it!  Everything worked out perfectly and not a thing on that fence.

The tree by the house has been the one with the most anticipation. It was SO close! and SO tall! and so close to so many power lines. Just so many things.
Mrs. Laura stopped by one day and we discussed this tree.  She said why was that tree planted so close to the house? Then she said oh wait, they built the house out close to the tree! Ha, yes I guess they did. I hadn't thought of it that way.

About to the top

 

Here is a picture before it got too dark

This is just a taste of the piles we have to clean up.  I am thinking the brick wall did not make it.

Whats left after we clean up all the branches.  These are the trunks that Parker removes

The front 2 tress before the trunk was totally cut down. We have to clean up the mess before he cuts the rest down.

Some tree facts for people who like such things (like I do): 

Trunk sizes when they were cut:

Trees up front near the road:  31" & 27" in diameter  -  One of these were the tallest at 65' 

The one about even with Parker's room: 33" and rotten almost all the way up

The one by the fence: 39" the biggest and almost the oldest , at least 65-70 yrs old

The one by the house: 32" was the 2nd tallest at 55 ft, and was the oldest 70+ yrs

Now, that I have moved my share of pine tree debris, I think I may be slightly allergic.  No one else looked like this and it has taken 2 weeks to recover, but still not totally healed. Pictures just don't do it justice! My arms were a mess and swollen - and I was wearing long sleeves and gloves!

Here are some picture of the house.  Maybe more than enough but hard to get the whole picture. 

 

Here is the back yard from standing at the corner of the back porch: 
Notice the missing chain link fence with vines growing on it. I have to say- it is SO nice not having to walk around that fence to get to the burn pile!  I think we cut 5 scrub trees growing along it.  There is still one that will be coming down, according to Tim.