Tuesday, July 7, 2009

Another Arbor Day

When we estimated the costs of maintaining this farm we included expenses such as painting outbuildings, replacing roofs, veterinary bills, and fencing. What we totally overlooked was tree care (trees seem so self-sufficient!) Our beautiful, mature trees have turned out to be a considerable, recurrent expense. Last week we dealt with the huge maple that had fallen across the fence into the pasture and a large branch that had fallen precariously on our barn. Amazingly, the bottom of the branch had caught in the crotch of the tree, preventing damage, but it was threatening to come crashing through the barn in a strong wind.
The only way to safely remove the limb was to lift it off with a crane.
One fearless and surefooted young fellow on our tree crew worked on the roof (tied to a tree on the other side of the barn for safety) cutting off the small branches and attaching the limb to the crane.
The limb was gently lowered to the ground. It had the diameter of a good-sized tree.
The tidy crew even swept the tree debris off the barn roof afterward.

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

You're so right Susan, one would think that trees would be self-sufficient! But I guess they do need our help sometimes too! I'm glad the barn was safe, and the young man on the roof!

jack69 said...

Them trees will get you every time! Amazing how expensive they can become. But they produce so much enjoyment in the summer for human and animal, makes them worth the risk entailed.
Enjoyed reading. Best of luck to you guys.
Jack & Sherry