MY HUGE SUPER OLD FALLING APART TREE IS DOWN!!!

[ducks4you]

I had 5 minutes away from work to post this--SORRY, no pics, yet--but I had to share this.
We have lived with this 30' + maple tree that has needed to come down from before we moved to the property in 1999. You could see that it had been hit by lightening at some point. It has had mushrooms growing around the base for about 12 years, at LEAST, and I could see cracks in the limbs and 1/2-way up the trunk.
So.........I get up early Saturday morning, enjoying my coffee and the news about 7-ish, and I see this rig pull up to my neighbor's tree right across the street that I thought had some problems, too. I threw on my outside work clothes, and me and the two dogs go out to tt these 2 guys in their 20's with the tree-trimming rig, a truck and trailer and a John Deer tractor. (I was drooling over the tractor, but I don't think they noticed it dripping down my chin.)
ANYWAY, I tell them that 3 tree places that I've called haven't bothered to call me back, and I REALLY need this tree--closer to the barn--down THIS YEAR. They say, "Sure", and probably can't get it down for a few weeks. I tell them ANY TIME before October works for me.
I also tell them that I'll take all of the wood in my north pasture bc I have an annual party in October with a bonfire and could use the wood. I walk one of the guys out to see where to put the wood and we walk over the E V I L tree in question. I couldn't believe it--he quoted me EXACTLY what I wanted to pay to take it down---$600.00 !!!!!
DEFINITELY a God thing.
At the end of the day, after their last trip, we were talking and they said they could leave the tractor and trailer and come back on Sunday to take my tree down. (I left them a check.)
I come home after church and errands, and mid-afternoon, NO MORE EVIL TREE LEFT!!!!!
I mean, yeah, I have a 5 inch, 3 1/2-4' wide STUMP, but who cares about THAT. These guys were fast, and careful. They asked if they could drag it out and, of COURSE, I said yes. They took the tractor and pushed my pile together, which contained 4 established very large trees and brush. It's 2x as tall as my horses, and 2 1/2x as wide.
You can see that the tree was hollowing out up the trunk. At least one 12 inch wide limb only had 2 inches of wood left bc the rest was rotted away.
My Salsa Party is gonna have one heck of great bonfire this year!!!!!

 

[Nyboy]

Good tree guys are worth their weight in gold. I have one I swear is part monkey, he straps on spikes and flys up the tree.

 

[897tgigvib]

That is really great news!

Tree cutters must have secret Limos, chauffeurs, yachts, and I am CERTAIN, some of them own private islands somewhere.

It really is highly skilled, dangerous, and potentially high insurance risk for the damage they can do types of work. Bonding, insuring, licensing, keeping good crews, good equipment, it adds up fast.

I've seen those guys shimmy up 200 feet, cutting branches on the way up, cursing at each other when the blade dulls partway up, feeding a saw down, pulling up another one, topping off the Fir so far up there while swaying, pushing the huge top away, watching the top fall, hearing it hit the ground, feeling the shake-thud. Amazing stuff they do.

Then the cleanup, the large woodchipper, bucking huge pieces, often leaving the bucked rolls for my campers to finish off. I have a collection of some from the most recent round to use to make more bed frames.

Really amazing. Smells great too!

And, I'm a tree hugger! But, a tree that has to go just has to go.

 

[baymule]

The tree is gone, the tree is gone
Wicked 'ol tree is gone
Fa La La La



I know exactly what you mean. Hurricane Ike dropped a massive oak tree on our house in 2008. Plus the storm damaged other trees that slowly began to die. We had 2 big oaks taken out in the front yard and another giant oak taken out in the back yard. It was like losing old friends.

 

[Chickie'sMomaInNH]

i sort of wish i was home to watch the guys that took down the 100+- year old maple that was in our front yard. they took ours down for $800 and used a crane to help remove most of the top since it was near a power line. i should have taken a pic of the massive cut trunk they left for a few weeks on the ground before they sent that part off for lumber.

 

[lesa]

That worked out perfectly for you! So glad! We have a wonderful young man who takes care of our trees. He is like a monkey climbing and climbing... One day I said to him, wow- that is such hard work. He laughed and said it wasn't hard at all, compared to his real job- which is farming!

 

[ducks4you]

Thanks for all of the well wishes!!
These guys are driving around and finding trees that need to come down. They get paid twice, once when they take a tree down and the second time when they deliver and sell the firewood. MORE POWER TO THEM!!!

 

[897tgigvib]

That's called a hand over fist operation

 

[Chickie'sMomaInNH]

i think the guys that took my tree down also give the chippings away free to anyone looking for them for mulch. at least they used to in previous years.

 

[897tgigvib]

Those chips make awesome pathways!!!