Trees. When I was little we had a sapling in the backyard, that I claimed and tried to compare our growth over the years and was shocked how quickly it outpaced me. I climbed trees and one limb in an older tree became a favorite reading/writing spot. I never had a tree house and was enthralled with the advent of people building treehouses in which to live.
Trees inspire literature such as Joyce Kilmer’s “Trees” with the oft quoted opening line, “I think that I shall never see a poem as lovely as a tree.” The tree of life in the Bible and the tree of knowledge of good and evil.
When I lived in Florida, I so enjoyed the Baobab trees that were planted in a park there; they reminded me of the book The Little Prince. And reading The Lorax by Dr. Seuss has spanned generations in my family.
I have so many positive associations with trees, that I had a hard time with the concept that I would be hiring people to remove them.
I have long loved the woods, driving through them and wanted a home among trees. When I moved to the Ozarks, I was happy to get a cabin in the woods and felt comforted in being surrounded by nature. But sometimes trees die and they don’t fall over right away.
I had a tall ash tree in the yard, close to the cabin. After the leaves fell in winter, it would fill with so many brightly colored birds, waiting a turn at the feeder. This tree of so many branches was huge and beautiful. But it was killed by emerald ash borers (a type of beetle). If you’ve ever seen firewood with squiggly lines in it, the ash borers are likely the artists responsible for the designs. It still burns fine as firewood, but the tree’s life is shortened.
No more leaves grew on it; falling, dead branches and sheets of bark littered the yard. Various visitors told me my tree was dead and needed to come down before a storm did it for me and I would have no choice about where it would lie.
One neighbor told me he used to fell trees for a living and could take it down. A year later I got around to collecting estimates and learned a great deal from talking with tree service professionals. Trees cost on average about $500-$1,000 to be taken down and either cut up into firewood or hauled away.
While I was in the estimate process, the same neighbors stopped by and the husband stared at the tree which he felt was an obvious threat on the property. I told him I was getting estimates and he reminded me that he had already offered and would be happy to do it for a fraction of the prices. His wife confirmed that he was capable and he said they would teach me how it’s done in the country.
We set a date and they came rolling up the road like the cavalry with tractor and a chainsaws. The wife operated the tractor and raised the husband up in the bucket with a chainsaw. They had a calm and efficient banter that comes with years of knowing each other. I asked if I should go away and they said do whatever you want. I was a bit nervous and busied myself with yard tasks in an opposite direction. In short time, branches were marked with a rope and plumb bob, lower limbs were trimmed and the tree was placed just where he aimed.
There was much more work in cutting up limbs and the trunk into manageable sections with the chain saw. I joined their family and carrying off smaller branches for a burn pile for later. I was impressed by the small branches that required two hands to pull out of the earth, having been impaled there by the tree’s weight. Once the branches were cleared, their teenage son learned how to work the loader on the tractor and move the logs to a place in the yard for splitting into firewood, in the future.
All of those branches that the birds used to sit upon made quite the burn pile. My neighbors compacted it with the tractor and a few logs. It was a crazy, hot day, but they set the fire, which also made me nervous. We had just come out of drought conditions with recent rain and I don’t love anything bigger than a small campfire with water nearby. I stretched out the hose from the well house, to have at the ready.
Knowing of my nervousness, in the heat, my lovely neighbors stayed into the hot night, tending the fire and refusing to eat, heat and work suppressed their appetites. Once the fire looked manageable, I sent them home with food for later and I guarded the fire and wet the edges and peripheral foliage.
I slept that night feeling so blessed. It wasn’t about saving money, but the shared adventure and feeling the love of community. Each new joint experience adds more depth to the nods and waves as we pass each other during the week.
I adore this on so many levels: the ripple effect of community… your use of “plumb bob”… conjuring all the tree songs my dwindling brain cells can muster (Cactus Tree by Joni Mitchell, Tanglewood Tree by Dave Carter and Tracy Grammer, Holly Tree by Dar Williams, The Dreaming Tree by Dave Matthews Band, Boys in the Trees by Carly Simon, Thorn Tree in the Garden by Derek & The Dominos, Lemon Tree by Peter Paul and Mary, I could go on!). Thanks for sharing your stories; even if I don’t always comment, I love reading about your country life… 🙂
I appreciate hearing about your experience as you read (Wow: Susan’s Kollege of Musical Knowledge (for our grammarians, yes, it’s spelled that way) ). You are welcome and I am grateful, for these adventures and getting to share them.