Two More Pines Down

  The pines continue dying. It's mostly the changing climate, I think, though Tom says these trees are old enough that I need to expect them to expire. I planted most of them about 32 years ago.

 Nine days ago I called Dave with Joe's Tree Service. We always have him do our work: best prices and excellent work. The clean-up afterwards can't be beat, either. He sent me a text this morning that a larger job was cancelled due to the predicted high winds (up to 40 MPH) but that my job was small in comparison and could he come today?

Dave started with the spruce at the northern edge of the property, adjacent to Clayton Road. I'd say both trees were in the twenty foot range, too big for Tom and I to tackle. And this one was  too close to the power lines; the other was too close to the house.

 He starts by taking off all the side branches. A worker on the ground collects them as they fall and runs them through a chipper/shredder.

 Tom provides ample supervision ...

 Within 10 - 15 minutes the tree was down.

 He cut several large sections while still upright, dropped them to the ground and then cut them into manageable logs there. He cut the stump so close to the ground I can easily mow over it. Bravo!

 Now to the tree alongside the driveway. We might have been able to do this one except for it being so close to the house. A mistake would be costly. And the electric chain saw we have has but a 14" chain and this tree would have been on the ragged edge of possibility.

 Dave used the same procedure for both: take off the side branches then begin cutting the trunk in fairly large sections at the top first.

 I'll miss that tree. It was a beautiful blue spruce but it began dying several years ago and was completely dead this year. A companion tree was removed years ago.

 A bucket truck is a real plus (and probably a necessity for safeties sake).

The logs were left beneath each tree per contract but Tom began moving them all to this pile by the driveway. A neighbor who heats with wood is going to pick them up and haul them away.

 So Pinehaven becomes yet a little less of its namesake.

Next day. Dave cut the stumps off so close to the ground  they're virtually non-existent. How did he do that?

North tree ... South tree