Saturday, July 25, 2009

TIMBER! (or Two Men and a Truck?)


This is what happened, God-honest truth.

It started raining this spring in Atlanta like it would make up for lost time. Years of drought. Years of damage to the root systems of all our precious trees, even the mighty oaks. Suddenly, the evening news was full of stories...oak trees falling on houses and cars. Tree experts warning us to go check our trees...so it wouldn't happen to us.

So, living on 3 acres in the woods, I was no dummie! DUH! I counted F-I-V-E oak trees near the play set and driveway, any of which, if they fell, would damage an investment. Donica agreed to get the deed done. It would leave a bad taste in a buyer's mouth if "it" happened AFTER they moved in. So I did my homework and found a local man and dad who were properly licensed and insured.


In one day they quickly felled 4 of the trees. Boom boom boom boom. One right after the other. That was easy. Maybe 3 hours worth of toil and trouble. The son had to climb only one of the trees and after getting to the top, decided he didn't have to after all. Boom. It fell exactly where he wanted. Dad was there to "spot" him.

The entire time, I was busy with my camera. HA! Yes, me! I wouldn't have missed this for anything. As I walked around, however, all the contraptions, the 2 trucks and bobcat, the gizmos...all interested me much more than the trees. This was a photographer's paradise.


The 1969 Ford F-250.


The 1973 Ford F-750.


The bobcat.

Okay, now hold your breath for a month! There was still one last mighty oak to come down, the biggest of them all and half the entire price. The Mother of all Mighty Oaks! But no one came and no one came and no one came. One month!


Just when I was ready to give up on the enterprise, I heard a chainsaw buzzing one morning and there they were. Son was already at the top of the tree (the first tree at the head of this post), with all the top limbs already de-limbed. RATS! I had wanted to catch that. Not to worry, I soon found out why this one was half the price. I think they were there for 6+ hours!

And what I found out was that Dad had a pacemaker "installed" during that month and was not released to do any work for 4 weeks. Well, DUH! But the biggest topper of all was when I found out he grew up in Dansville, MI, where my sister and BIL live on their farm. The more we talked, the more connections we made. Unbelievable. What a small world.

Which makes a nice segue to tell you that I leave on Sunday (tomorrow) to drive 750+ miles north from Atlanta to Dansville, to said farm, to help sister Ruth all next week in prep for their daughter's wedding "down on the farm" August 1st! It will be a humdinger of a wedding, trust me. I can just imagine what it will be like. YES, I'll take as many pictures as possible to give you an inkling, once I return (on the 2nd).

In the meantime, here's a little photo album on the tree-cutting. Please pray for journeying mercies as I drive both ways by myself, hopefully in one day each. I will rest whenever necessary, I promise. Once back home, I've decided the house can sell just as quickly as anyone can say TIMBER five times (but hopefully without a month in between)!

7 comments:

  1. Wow, what an exiting enterprise and it went of well - in the end! Well done Ginnie!

    Have a nice trip and a smashing good wedding party and send my greetings, all the way from Norway :-)

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  2. Ik hoop dat je inderdaad TIMBER kan roepen als jij terug komt, ik hoop dat ik dan ook TIMBER kan roepen, dan weet jij wel wat ik bedoel.....
    MLS, dit zijn een stel prachtige foto's, echte 'Ginnie' foto's, ik was er graag bij geweest want dit was echt het foto-paradijs......
    Dit zijn een stelletje vakmensen die hun beroep verstaan, ik denk dat ze blij zijn met deze foto's.
    Ik zal je gedenken in mijn gebeden voor een veilige rit, naar en van Michigan, in gedachten zal ik de hele dag bij je zijn en blij zijn als ik een bericht van je krijgt dat je veilig aangekomen bent.
    IHVJ....MAWIIMH....doe voorzichtig

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  3. I'm not really sure I can imagine a house with so many trees around it..

    What a great feeling to have them come back. My grandmother had a pacemaker put in... It's great to know they are back and at it!

    And can't wait to see the wedding pics!

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  4. After hurricane Ike, one of the most fascinating processes to follow was the clean-up of the marinas. Pulling boats up to 90' in length out of the grass and off parking lots is quite a sight. I photoblogged it on another site, and loved doing it.

    There's a beauty to competent people doing difficult physical tasks that's compelling. I'm off to your photo album to enjoy images from a different trade.

    In honor of your trip I've got Asleep at the Wheel playing on Pandora - Texas Western Swing is the best road music in the world!

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  5. So you've had lots of rain in Atlanta too? It's been a soggy cool summer here in S Ontario, I don't think we have experienced more that one or two days without some raindrops for the whole summer.
    Shame to cut down those big trees, but I think you have plenty left!

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  6. Renny: It was a great trip and now I'm back safe-n-sound! I hope you're having a safe trip to southern France, as we speak!

    Astrid: As you know by now, I'm back safe-n-sound. What a great trip from beginning to end. Dat weet jij. Next time you'll be with me!

    ET: The house is indeed on 3 acres in the woods, so there are lots of trees of all kinds. I'm so glad there are hardwoods as well as the pines! I'm now back from the wedding and will start showing my pics. What a memory!

    SA: Next time I'll have to find me some good Texas Western Swing. I have a feeling I'd love it, Linda. :) And yes, I do love to see competent people at work in their fields of trade. Having the right tools seems to be half the accomplishment!

    Sham: We have plenty of trees left, yes. I'm guessing this is Nature's way of thinning out the forest!

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  7. What a great post about the trees.....goodness.. I would not want to do that job......

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