2 TREES + MY 2 GUYS = VICTORY

Remember this massive ice storm that we had December 11th last year. The whole story here.
We had very little damage compared to most of the people in our area, but we did have 2 trees in the back yard that had the tops taken out of them. At first Mickey thought we would get them trimmed up and try and save them but then he decided he just wanted to take them down.

Saturday, March 29th, Mickey went over to our younger son, Marc, and the 2 of them cut down the part of a tree that was leaning up against Marc's roof. Sorry, no pictures, because the photographer (me) was busy having an MRI on her knee.

This past Saturday Mickey and our son-in-love, Dave, tackled the HUGE job of taking down these HUGE trees from our back yard. I was very nervous about it and wanted to just leave so I didn't have to watch. But who would have taken pictures if I'd have done that so here are the pictures and the results of a job well done.

(click on pictures to enlarge)The rope has been tied to the River Birch tree coming down and another, in the direction they wanted the tree to fall. Mickey is just beginning to cut with the power saw. Dave is in place and watching.

Dave watching and ready for action.

Mickey has removed the wedge he has cut out and is now sawing from the other side of the trunk. Dave is ready on the rope to pull the tree down as it falls.

It's down!!! Dave is heading over.

Here are the two looking at the successful job.

Then came the tedious work of trimming off the big branches and hauling them away.

Showing more progress made and Dave heading out our back gate where the branches are being taken. This was Mickey's huge garden area last year but he is not putting in that garden this year.

More progress on clearing the truck and Mickey hauling a branch to the back.

The 2 proud and tired guys surveying the cleared trunk that now needs to be sawed into fire wood lengths.

Dave doing some of the log cutting.

Tree one complete. Tree down, branches trimmed, branches hauled to the back, and logs cut and stacked. WHEE!!!!

Now comes the 2nd tree and the 2nd challenge. This is a Pin Oak and is a very prickly branched tree. The first challenge was finding a branch and being able to climb up through the thick branches to tie the rope. Mickey is having a look and they are discussing what and how to do it.

Dave is starting to climb the ladder to get as high as he can. You can see one of the 3 broken branches hanging in this shot. There were a total of 3 broken branches hanging off this trunk in 3 different directions.

You can barely see Dave at the top of the ladder. He is tying the rope around a branch and Mickey has the other end of the rope.

Dave climbing back down and folding the ladder down to remove it out of the way. Mickey working to untangle the rope.

Both of them pulling the rope taunt on the opposite tree in the direction they want the Pin Oak to fall. You can see the wood log stack, of the first tree, behind Dave.

Mickey is beginning the sawing of the wedge.

Dave holding the rope and ready as Mickey continues sawing the wedge.

Mickey has the wedge out and is now sawing from the back side of the trunk. Please note the wheel barrow on it's side. Mickey did this to protect a small peach tree that is growing from a peach seed he planted. Yes, not one leaf of the peach tree was hurt!

She's down!!! Success #2. At this point Mickey tells Dave to go on home that he will finish the clean up of this trunk. Dave had arrived at 9:30 and they were at this point by noon.

After we had a bite to eat and Mickey took a short break he then continued cutting the branches off this very prickly tree and carrying them to the back. At 5 pm I told him "Rome wasn't built in a day. Please quit." This was the point he had gotten to and this is what still remains to be cut into logs and stacked. Another day, another time!!!

I cannot tell you how proud we three are of this job that they accomplished. It saved us over $1,000!!!! Let me remind you, Mickey is 75 years old. What a guy!!!!! See yet another reason why I am so proud of him and love him so!!!!!!!!