So Thursday evening after Randy got home from work, he said, "I think I'll start working on that tree!" He'd been thinking about it and how he was going to do the job for weeks and he couldn't wait any longer. I wanted to wait and start the project first thing Friday morning- - -but no way! Next thing I know I hear the chainsaw. . .I go outside to find the project had begun! (6:30 PM)
The limbs came off a row at a time. This is as high as he could reach with the step ladder. One pickup full. . . and lots of tree left!
Then the taller ladder comes out and you take off more limbs. . .around and around the tree you go--until you have a second pickup full of limbs.
Then you reach as high as you can on the taller ladder. . .tie a rope around the tree--as high as you can reach . . . that's so Ilene can pull the top in exactly the right direction when the top gets cut off.
Then you climb to the top of the ladder. Notch the tree on the side towards where you want it to fall. And then cut off the top of the tree on the opposite side of the notch . . . which then falls EXACTLY where you wanted it to . . . so nothing in the yard is adversely impacted. When's the next lumberjack competition ? 
Then we load the 3rd pickup full after cutting all the limbs off of the top of the tree.
Now we REALLY have a pile of limbs down at the bottom of the pasture. That's going to be SOME fire when we light that pile. Maybe Spud Day. Maybe sometime in October. We'll see. The wind has gotta be just right you know. So! That's how it's done. Time: 8:45 PM.
I left a tall stump . . . cuz maybe we'll want to put a big birdhouse up on top. We'll see.
5 comments:
20 years of growth GONE in just over 2 hours. Amazing. I'm hoping for the perfect night when we're there for Spud Day cause that will be some bonfire. Maybe reminiscent of the Shelley bonfire that blew out windows?? :-) Good work mom and pops!
Couldn't you have waited until the City of Shelley (or maybe even the White House) needed a Christmas tree?!?
I'm sure Beau would have loved to be a part of that tree cuttin'!! He's got experience you know. You'll definitely have to wait until he's around when you light up those branches (just in case you need his other expertise). We're planning on Spud Day too....so that sounds like the perfect time!
One down...a few more to go! Awesome work!
Why don't you see if Cap can round a few people up to carve you an authentic totem pole?
Hmmm...that's where Ted gets that from...gets something in his head and has to immediately take action!
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