Tuesday my former coworker texted me to see if the tree service could come on Wednesday. She was worried that wasn't enough time for me to get the fence down in time for their trucks to have access. I assured her that Wednesday was fine as the panels were already down and all I needed to do was move a couple of potted plants. So, shortly after 8 Wednesday morning they started setting up. They pulled back out of the yard at 12:20 (I know the exact time, because I had just clocked in from lunch when I heard them pull out).
This was the same company that took out the willow in 2017. At that time, he owned a bucket truck and chipper and I believe it was a one-man show. He has upgraded to include a crane and had 2 people with him. The bucket truck was placed behind the house where the chainsaw operator could reach all the trees to be worked on. The crane was in the side yard between the house and the shed. The chipper was at the end of the driveway. Originally the crane was to be at the front of the house, with the chipper in the side yard, but they decided that would not be the best configuration.
Flying tree :D
A couple of trees that have been topped but the trunks are still standing at this point
I had added the 3 entwined trees at the edge of the property, so was expecting 8 or 9 trees taken in total. However, Andrew had me come out and look at a tree that seemed healthy, but in reality was splitting along the length of the trunk. It was not evident from the backyard, but until he was next to it cutting down the 3 tree cluster. Since I didn't expect that tree to be taken, I don't have any good pictures of it. This picture is of the 3-tree clump with the split tree way to the side circled in red.
I told him to take it as well as any other trees that he found to be in trouble. In all there were 13 trees taken. Although there is obviously 1 small one (in diameter, not in height), they were mostly right around 15". Those that clumped had a correspondingly larger footprint. The large trunk to the right of center, with the darker inner weed is the cherry tree taken from the sitting area. The log just to the left of that one, is the cherry tree from the center of the 3-tree clump (the other 2 trees in the clump were maples)
They also trimmed up some of the tree branches that were making that long reach towards the house. Before (taken a couple of weeks ago) and after
So they left at noon-twenty, but the logs were left in the driveway until the guy that was the crane operator showed up shortly after 4pm with a log truck. I talked to him for a couple of minutes and found he is a neighbor, living about a 1/2 mile down my road. He and his wife ride their motorcycles by my place on a regular basis and we wave to each other.
I was happy to learn that the trunks will be put to good use. He takes logs taken from local cuttings to his property, cuts/splits and seasons it. Sure, he burns some but also donates about 20 cords to the local firewood bank per year.
Stump from the tree that was splitting
From the 3-tree cluster. The cherry tree is the larger portion to the left (I was sideways to the house)
From two trees that were growing together in the front of the tree line
The thing that sux (besides having a much better view of the buildings behind my house and the extra sun hitting the house in the morning), is that nearly everything that had to come down were black cherry trees, leaving all junk maples (except for 1 cherry over toward the shrub garden). However, dang those trunks are straight (6-7 trees came out in this portion alone)
And last but not least, my sitting area prior to tree cutting, then after. Having to put that cherry tree on the chopping block was the hardest decision, but I knew it had to go as hard as it leaned and half the crown was dead.
I didn't realize how odd a shape that tree was until I looked at the stump
Last night (Friday) I was out watering the roadside garden and the crane operator stopped on his way home. "Hey, those grown back yet?"
"Nah, give them a couple of weeks." ;)
It's hard having to take out trees - especially when they are a species that you like. Sorry you had to go through this, but thanks for giving us the photos and descriptors.
Posted by: Cop Car | July 16, 2022 at 08:31 AM