On the Domestic Front

Ash is trash. 

When I moved into my house 13 months ago, my yard had several very large trees in it.

Trees that don't handle droughts well. 

Ash trees. 

A few weeks ago I noticed through the kitchen window that my fence gate was open.  I ran back to close it and found this in my backyard.

 

This picture does no justice whatsoever to the size of the tree.  I had a few other trees to trim, so I borrowed some tools and filled fourteen bags with tree debris. 

Fourteen.

Plus the gigantic branches that wouldn't fit in the bags.  

That was only the beginning.  I knew the giant tree in the back was dead.  Being so close to my house and my neighbor's fence, I really wanted to take care of it before the summer continued.  I tried calling around to get estimates for how much it would cost, but I wasn't getting phone calls returned.  I sent a few text messages to friends in the area looking for recommendations and one responded that he "and the boys could take care of it pretty quick." 

Hooray!! Free labor is always preferable to paid labor, right?  

I figured it would be a pretty simple process.  After all, Uncle Kevin (having seen pictures of the tree and knowing my success record with home improvement projects) assured me that I - a single, inexperienced female - could rent a gas pole saw and take care of it in half a day.  the only reason I didn't try this is the fact that I wasn't confident I could fit an 8' tool in my tiny civic.  

As soon as the recruited crew arrived and identified this tree they would be working with, they turned to one of the guys and asked: "What is it your father-in-law says about ash trees?"

Ash is trash.

Apparently said father-in-law is a landscaper, and that is his creed.  This was not the first ash tree this crew had faced.   

 They are huge.  And grow long, thin, spindly branches that resemble the long bony fingers of a giant creature in a horror film.  In my own tree trimming, I cut down branch after branch after branch of dead, leafless wood.  They are hideous.  I was delighted to get rid of this thing, even if it wasn't about to fall over and create a giant money pit.

Things started pretty simply.  Four grown dudes showed up in three pickups, with four kids.

They climbed, sawed, and cut.  The kids and I hauled to the trucks.  

The biggest hurdle was trying to keep the falling debris out of my neighbor's yard.  Being the planners that they are, these guys planned ahead.  They would cut just enough to make the branches ready to break, then put a chain around the branch, back up, and pull into my yard. 

 

(Faces hidden to protect the free labor.  If everyone finds out, they'll be less likely to help me again!)

The majority of the tree took about three hours to get down.  We filled three pickups with debris, and the guys ran to dump it all and pick up one more friend to help.  In that three hours, their three chainsaws broke numerous times.  Apparently those things are quite temperamental - chains coming lose and such.  These dudes are way more patient and determined than I am.  I would've given up quite quickly.  They just kept at it.  

 

When they got back, all that remained was the main stump.  

Given the chainsaw difficulties, they weren't able to saw all the way through.  Plan A was driving a truck onto my lawn, hooking the chain up to the truck, and trying to break it that way.  Unfortunately, the chain wasn't long enough, and we couldn't get anything (rope, tie-downs, etc.) to stay attached to the chain. 

Plan B was to muscle it and get all five dudes pushing as hard as they could.  

Again, there wasn't enough of the trunk cut through for this to work.

 

Plan C was to use the pole saw.  The chainsaws kept breaking, but this guy was pretty sturdy. They cut a little deeper into the trunk with it.  Eventually, they left and came back with a handsaw and took care of it in about fifteen minutes.  

 

 Here are the remains.  I have plans in store for the stump, so stay tuned.

Love,

Murphy & Me