Backyard Logging

John, Greg, and Terese, God bless 'em, love a project.

I love the fact that they love a project.

So, Saturday's quest was the removal of two trees from our yard. It was so sad to see one of my favorites, a spiral willow, slowly decline then finally die. But there was nothing else to do but remove it. It was an enormous task since the tree was easily 40 feet tall, perhaps even taller.

It all started when John called me out to the back yard. He was standing next to the poor dead willow tree, having tied a rope to one of it's largest branches and was holding his chainsaw.

"Hey, honey! Grab onto this rope and just lean back!"

Wha?? Me? Rope? Why?

"Because I need someone to guide this branch so that it doesn't smack into our pear tree when I cut it down."

Me? Do manual labor? In the sun? But I have SJOGREN'S SYNDROME!

"So stand in the shade. Get over there and grab the rope."

Well. I never.

 I indignantly harumphed myself over to said shady patch and grabbed the thick yellow rope. And expertly tugged, if I do say so myself. The chainsaw screeched, and the branch came down perfectly placed with a crash. After throughly congratulating myself on a job well done, I sent the above picture via cell phone to Terese, who immediately called.

"We're on our way up!"

Did I mention that Terese and Greg love a project? Woo hoo! The troops were gathering. Two teenage neighbor boys ambled over and lent a hand.

Sawdust flew.

Pictures were taken.

Branches were loaded into the truck.

 Tree rings were counted.

Yep, just what we figured. Sixteen years.

Another neighbor came running to ask for some of the dry, curly branches for floral arrangements. We gave her all she could carry. It made me feel good to know that somewhere, my tree even in it's afterlife, was still being admired.

In an astoundingly short amount of time, the two trees had left the yard, leaving the surrounding shrubbery and rose bushes surprisingly intact. Yesssssss!

Over celebratory lemonade and cheeseburgers, Terese let slip that they were, in fact, actually supposed to be attending a birthday party that afternoon instead of doing suburban logging. What friends! What dedication! What limitless energy!

What were they thinking?!

I had to pry the lawn rake out of her hands as she was raking up the last bits of sawdust from the grass.  Thanks a zillion, guys, but get your sweaty and sap covered selves over to the party! Now!

Ah. What would life be without great friends?