TIMBER!!

Some things we just can't do ourselves. Like remove a huge spruce tree.

Spruce is in the middle there.

This tree and I were not friends. It was sick so it was dropping needles like crazy and that hurts people who like to run around barefoot. (So, our whole family.) Oh, I was getting so mad at that tree.

One reason we did not rush into removal (besides the cost) was that our dying tree blocked the view of our neighbor's dead tree. But I got so sick of the needles, I just didn't care anymore.

(And in defense of the neighbors, they just bought the house a month ago, and I do not judge them for not immediately cutting it down.)

So, we called a company, and they came out and gave us a great quote and then...never came back to do the job! Grrr. So, serendipitously, another company had left a business card on our door, we called them and they gave us a great quote and bonus: they actually came and did the work!

I meant to document the whole thing, but it was raining and so my pictures are pretty lousy.

One guy limbed the tree as he climbed up all lumberjack-ish. It was pretty impressive, especially considering the rain.

Can you see the guy up there in the rain?

By the time they got to the top the rainstorm and wind were worse and they had to call off for the day. Understandable. I didn't want anybody getting hurt over a tree.

The next day, one guy held the guide rope while the other climbed up and cut the top.

There he goes, back up the tree.

TIMBER!

 They worked section by section until it was short enough to fell the whole thing. I missed that because they were freakin' fast!

Then they ground the stump. Grinded the stump? Ground? Whatever. That was also removed.

I had no idea how much brighter that side of our house would be without that tree.

I mean, theoretically I knew it would be, but it was such a huge difference.

This is the view from the back deck, before.

And after.

Woody's was great. I absolutely would recommend them. They were polite, efficient, did the work and cleaned-up the driveway both days.