The joys of owning your own home

[tupe]

After the last strong storm, I noticed a small problem:
http://typelogic.com/photos/problem800.jpg

The dead oak between our houses had broken and was caught in another tree
that kept it from falling on our roof. (It's the one behind the bird feeders, to the right.)

It might miss us. Maybe. After two or three days, I decided swift action was required.

[weemannie]

Phew! That was very lucky. :)

[tupe]

Thanks, Trevor. Indeed it was.

After several phone calls, I learned the bad news. No one would risk climbing
that rotten tree to take it down. As Gary Larsen's stone-age plumber said,
"Ooo - this not be cheap." At the end of the day, three bids later, I settled on
a company with lots of experience and a big bucket truck.
http://typelogic.com/photos/going%20down640.jpg

The fellow in the truck tied the fallen tree to the one it was resting on. (It was
more complicated than that - long ropes that went to the ground, etc.)

I'll post the action shots later.

[Rob612]

You've been VERY lucky, I would say. Good for you, even if it costed you some money.

[pgrimes]

Yes... you were very lucky, just ask the owner of this car...

*large images*

http://www.paulbgrimes.com/images/walk_5-28-05/broke_car1.jpg

http://www.paulbgrimes.com/images/walk_5-28-05/broke_car2.jpg

[tupe]

Right, Roberto, even after I wrote the check, what I mainly felt was relief.

(Wow, Paul, that's ugly!)

[cfcRebel]

Wow, i'm glad the other tree had blocked the oak tree from falling on your roof. The home repair could be even more expensive. :)

[Paul A]

Mother nature strikes again!! Glad you got in time.

[tupe]

Thanks CFC, Paul. I can't imagine what might have happened to the house if
that huge tree had fallen on us.

Here's a shot of one of the most critical moments in the process. The top has been
secured and gingerly trimmed back. Then the wild man in the bucket carefully cut
the trunk in two. Here you see the lower trunk falling away, with the top half
(behind it) swinging back against tree that holds it.
http://typelogic.com/photos/moment%20of%20truth640.jpg

The first 8 feet of that monster was rotten, but the rest is solid oak. These guys
did a great job of dropping it perfectly in a tight space with very little room for error.

This is a shot of the top half of the dead tree suspended by ropes from the smaller
tree that saved our house. The sawdust hadn't settled yet.
http://typelogic.com/photos/dust%20640.jpg

[tupe]

I have lots more photos of this event, but I will restrain myself (after one more) and
spare you all of the boring details.

Here's a shot of the wild man who put himself in harm's way. He reminded me of a
classic Rebel soldier from our Civil War. He kept up his end of the chatter yelling
down things like "Ooh I'm scared" just before each cut he made. His favorite was
"git 'er done!" This is a second dead tree, a maple, that was not rotten.
http://typelogic.com/photos/giterdun640.jpg

[guitarman3]

Wow Tupe, you made the right decision to take action and get that puppy outta there safely. Glad the operation was a success and you and yours escaped with no damage or injury.

[tupe]

Thanks, Dennis. These guys are good - they had both trees down and logs cut for firewood in two hours.

[herderdog]

Wow, tupe, you were really lucky.
We loose a few homes to trees here in this area every year.
You made a good decision.

[tupe]

Thanks, Bonnie. It was a tough decision. Our house, or a 20d. ;)

[felix21685]

tupe..now u wont need firewood for another 2 seasons ! :) nice place you live..

[tupe]

tupe..now u wont need firewood for another 2 seasons ! :) nice place you live..Thanks, Felix. Yep - we got the firewood: :)
http://typelogic.com/photos/firewood.jpg

[robertwgross]

Just think, there might have been some woodpeckers that called that tree their home.

---Bob Gross---

[Michaelmjc]

The guy's car was just smushed... that sucks.

I thought by the title we were gonna see you runnign around the house naked :lol:

[tupe]

Just think, there might have been some woodpeckers that called that tree their home. The downy and the red-bellied often flew there from the feeder. The downy looked like a lineman climbing up its trunk.
I thought by the title we were gonna see you runnign around the house naked :lol:Now, that really wouldn't be pretty! :)

[robertwgross]

The downy and the red-bellied often flew there from the feeder. The downy looked like a lineman climbing up its trunk.


I'll trade you three acorn woodpeckers for a red-bellied. And I'd make it four for a downy.

However, I think I am sitting on the world's supply of Nuttall's, and I know where there are some Pileated and one Red-breasted Sapsucker.

Speaking as a photographer, I prefer the woodpeckers that stay low on the tree, not the ones to stay up at the very top.

---Bob Gross---

[tupe]

If you count flickers, I've seen four types of woodpeckers this year. Maybe if we put feeders in UPS boxes...
Elevation is an advantage both for photography and military, isn't it. Too much light looking up.

[marie]

http://www.photography-on-the.net/forum/images/smilies/icon_sad.gif


it's sad about the trees alright


story and pictures are terrific

[tupe]

Thanks, Marie.

When we built our house (many years ago), we thought about building our deck around one of the large oaks. After a few years, we've learned to respect (should I say fear) them.

One of the oaks in our back yard had a hole, both entrance and exit, and our children watched a family of squirrels grow up there. There are times we would like to be out of the woods, but for the most part, I like it here.

[marie]

Thanks, Marie.
When we built our house (many years ago), we thought about building our deck around one of the large oaks. After a few years, we've learned to respect (should I say fear) them.
One of the oaks in our back yard had a hole, both entrance and exit, and our children watched a family of squirrels grow up there. There are times we would like to be out of the woods, but for the most part, I like it here.


thanks for the reply Tupe
I wanted to say how nice your place sounds
I left the post to reply to later but it got lost somewhere along the way

sounds gorgeous around there, for kids growing up especially
..... for everyone in the family


thanks

http://www.photography-on-the.net/forum/images/smilies/icon_smile.gif