When they don't understand - 07/11/20
A few days ago my wife was leaving for the store. She attempted to call me from the driveway and since I am not one to have my phone in the crack of my azz 24/7 I didn't get the call. She comes in pissed off.
We have a middle aged maple tree near the road. That tree had a limb on it that was almost a tree in itself. It stuck out 43 feet and went entirely over the driveway. On a clear day with no wind that limb decided to fall, completely covering the driveway.
The wife asks, " How am I going to go to the store?"
My answer, " You're not." Gas on the fire.
Next Question, "How are the tenants and Chris going to get in the driveway"
Answer, " Their not." More gas on the fire.
So she says, " Just tie it to the lawn mower and pull it off." Now the limb is still attached to the tree and it would take several tons of pull to drag it. What I had was a 1/2 diameter braided rope like you would use to tie a boat up.
I say, " That ain't gonna work." Again gas on the fire.
So I do it. Tie the line to the tree and the front of my truck. Of course, as expected, it snaps like a string.
I tell her I have to get a chainsaw and a chain. More gas on the fire she storms off into the house. That after she calls me lazy because I told her someone else might have to cook while I do this. Lazy, the guy who violated medical restrictions to do what was needed to get a room ready for two boys, and damn near died because of it. Right, an un-reasoned emotional outburst common to the female gender. Especially one who is already mentally ill with BiPolar disorder.
Rarely do I get openly angry. Years of being a C/O I control my emotional expressions. But that pissed me off and I slam something down on the bench. She slides back into the house, problem over. I so rarely get openly angry with her when I do she shrinks away, then she is calm after that.
So I go to Lowes and buy a 20' tow cable to ad to the 12 foot of chain I already had. I bought an electric chain saw since I don't need much and don't want to deal with mix gas I would rarely use.
Back to the house and quickly looking at how I'm going to do this without straining myself. Another stay in the hospital and another chest tube is something I wish to avoid. Two cuts on heavy parts and attach the cable and chain. Attach to the front hook on my truck and put it in 4 wheel low reverse. Pulled them up like they were nothing. Cut three other light limbs that were over the drive way and toss them on the lawn. Done, start to finish 45 minutes including going to the store which is only a mile and a half away.
I go back in the house and tell her she can go now. She is rather dumbfounded. Really, that fast!, she says. I tell her, " Right tools make the job easier. Planning before you start makes the job easier."
As far as the tree goes, we had already contracted a tree company to remove A giant elm that is alive, a smaller but still large dead elm, a dead pine and to dress up the maple under story. Since this contractor is a certified arborist he will evaluate the maple tree. If he believes it needs to be removed that will fall on the city. We have a municipal electric system and the easement is 30 feet each way from the center of the road. The tree is completely within that easement.
Looking at the tree I see areas that are clearly compromised. This limb that broke did so because the center wood rotted out from that fungus. There are two holes that are the diameter of a limb but one is 15 inches deep and the other 9 inches deep. There are seemingly like areas on limbs up in the tree.
The thing is the electric lines run within 3 feet of the tree. There are very large and long limbs going almost all the way across the road. City job, they already took down a big Sycamore in that easement and an elm, didn't cost me a dime. I hate to loose this last big tree on my property, but it is what it is. Once the arborist notifies the city of his findings the whole thing is on them.
We have a middle aged maple tree near the road. That tree had a limb on it that was almost a tree in itself. It stuck out 43 feet and went entirely over the driveway. On a clear day with no wind that limb decided to fall, completely covering the driveway.
The wife asks, " How am I going to go to the store?"
My answer, " You're not." Gas on the fire.
Next Question, "How are the tenants and Chris going to get in the driveway"
Answer, " Their not." More gas on the fire.
So she says, " Just tie it to the lawn mower and pull it off." Now the limb is still attached to the tree and it would take several tons of pull to drag it. What I had was a 1/2 diameter braided rope like you would use to tie a boat up.
I say, " That ain't gonna work." Again gas on the fire.
So I do it. Tie the line to the tree and the front of my truck. Of course, as expected, it snaps like a string.
I tell her I have to get a chainsaw and a chain. More gas on the fire she storms off into the house. That after she calls me lazy because I told her someone else might have to cook while I do this. Lazy, the guy who violated medical restrictions to do what was needed to get a room ready for two boys, and damn near died because of it. Right, an un-reasoned emotional outburst common to the female gender. Especially one who is already mentally ill with BiPolar disorder.
Rarely do I get openly angry. Years of being a C/O I control my emotional expressions. But that pissed me off and I slam something down on the bench. She slides back into the house, problem over. I so rarely get openly angry with her when I do she shrinks away, then she is calm after that.
So I go to Lowes and buy a 20' tow cable to ad to the 12 foot of chain I already had. I bought an electric chain saw since I don't need much and don't want to deal with mix gas I would rarely use.
Back to the house and quickly looking at how I'm going to do this without straining myself. Another stay in the hospital and another chest tube is something I wish to avoid. Two cuts on heavy parts and attach the cable and chain. Attach to the front hook on my truck and put it in 4 wheel low reverse. Pulled them up like they were nothing. Cut three other light limbs that were over the drive way and toss them on the lawn. Done, start to finish 45 minutes including going to the store which is only a mile and a half away.
I go back in the house and tell her she can go now. She is rather dumbfounded. Really, that fast!, she says. I tell her, " Right tools make the job easier. Planning before you start makes the job easier."
As far as the tree goes, we had already contracted a tree company to remove A giant elm that is alive, a smaller but still large dead elm, a dead pine and to dress up the maple under story. Since this contractor is a certified arborist he will evaluate the maple tree. If he believes it needs to be removed that will fall on the city. We have a municipal electric system and the easement is 30 feet each way from the center of the road. The tree is completely within that easement.
Looking at the tree I see areas that are clearly compromised. This limb that broke did so because the center wood rotted out from that fungus. There are two holes that are the diameter of a limb but one is 15 inches deep and the other 9 inches deep. There are seemingly like areas on limbs up in the tree.
The thing is the electric lines run within 3 feet of the tree. There are very large and long limbs going almost all the way across the road. City job, they already took down a big Sycamore in that easement and an elm, didn't cost me a dime. I hate to loose this last big tree on my property, but it is what it is. Once the arborist notifies the city of his findings the whole thing is on them.