Sitting at my desk on Sunday morning, a little nervous each time another major gust came along, I heard the crack. With knowing resolve, I got up and headed to the window to see which of the trees it could have been. Was it another part of the pine? The Elm? One of the ash trees? It didn’t take but a second to see the second large branch of the old pine tree snaking across the side yard and over the driveway. It had taken out a few privets and a small ash tree in the process but thankfully it stayed away from the house and the Elm this time.
With many coastal areas devastated after hurricane Matthew, we were thankful that the storm brought little more than a day of rain and some hefty winds. Unfortunately, a full day of sustained winds with gusts over forty miles per hour was just enough to take out the second part of the tree that had already been compromised.
The old pine tree’s second major limb snaked across the lawn and driveway
Now homebound, with no way out and no choice about it, we grabbed the right tools and began to tackle this monster. If nothing else, there had to be a path through before the impending Monday morning work hour. Somehow, “massive tree across my driveway with no way out” sounds a bit too much like, “dog ate my homework!”
Chris clearing the small limbs from the area. The firewood should last for a few outdoor fires!
Several hours later with a twenty-four inch chainsaw, a log splitter, and ample amounts of gasoline, the driveway was clear enough for a car. The rest of the fallen limb could be handled over the next week. Of course, the big next task is planning for the final core of the tree since it is the largest and most unpredictable of the three. Hopefully we will have enough time to plan for this one!
Sorry to hear about your tree and glad it not do more damage. Years ago, half a huge magnolia tree came crashing down and destroyed a new fence in front of our house in Louisiana. When I told my mother the bad news, she, always looking on the brighter side of things, replied: “Well, why don’t you go out and see if you can find some blossoms for the house?” No blossoms on your pine, alas!
Ha! Joel, I love that story. Your mother must have been the eternal optimist! When the old pine came down, we did have an offer from someone to do some carving from the logs. If pine were a more worthy carving wood, I might have taken them up on it. We took down the final central leader this week, so we now have a lifetime supply of pine logs for outdoor burning. Let me know if you need any!