Tree Work 1

Yesterday my Leaning Tower finally came down.  It was a task long (almost too long) delayed.

In the summer of 2010 I had Lot No. 4 cleared in preparation for construction of the house.  The "forest products" guy who did this work created the large woodpile I have been processing for firewood ever since.  He and his companion worked hard and fast, clearing everything in sight.

The Leaning Tower in March 2013.

Many years ago the tree was hit by lightning,
leaving a long, deep break in the bark.

However, there was one tree he refused to deal with — the Leaning Tower of Poplar.  Known locally as a "popple," this was a 60+ foot specimen of balsam poplar, Populus balsamifera, which is native to Michigan.  My woodsman was concerned that, if dropped, this tree might hit the power lines at the front of the property.  That would plunge the east side of Lake Esau into darkness, and my woodsman would have to pay for the repairs.  Moreover, his good relationship with the local electrical coop would sour.  So I had no choice but to let the tree stand.

As construction continued, the tree ended up on the edge of the driveway, with the propane tank just a couple yards away.  But it remained a concern.  Its radical tilt toward the east made me nervous when storms hit, and it was obvious that at some point the tree had been struck by lightning.  The split in the bark caused by the lightning strike suggested interior rot and, as a result, greater instability.  In March 2013 I had an Alpena tree service bid out the tree's removal along with several dead ash, but this company had a full schedule, and so did I.

Grand Lake Landscaping arrives Monday morning.

Judy was the first to spot this broken branch.
They don't call this a widowmaker for nothing!

There the matter sat until a few days ago, when my sharp-eyed friend Judy, visiting from Boston, spotted a large broken limb high in the Tower's crown.  This is a good example of how we fail to see what is right in front of us.  I had grown so used to the Leaning Tower that I no longer looked at it very often or very critically.  Judy remarked the limb, and well she did!  This widowmaker nearly overhung my propane tank.  If it fell, and if it swung just a little on the lower "hinge" of wood, the limb might well have fallen right on top of the tank!  And that, in turn....  Well, you get the idea!

On Friday I called Grand Lake Landscaping. Tim, the owner, took a break in his fishing on Lake Huron to look over my tree needs.  Seeing the danger posed by the broken limb, he agreed to show up Monday.  At 9:15 he and his crew were on the job.

Working from the bucket at the end of his 40-foot boom,
Tim works on the dead ash trees at the front of the lot.

Using a one-hand "arborist" chainsaw, Tim tops this ash.

As a part of the tree is cut, Tim drops it to his ground crew.

Tim worked first on several dead ash — victims of the emerald ash borer — which sat adjacent to the power line right-of-way.  In fact, if a windstorm knocked these trees onto the lines, the power company would be responsible for the repairs.  Presque Isle Electric and Gas pays for "acts of God."  But these trees were also adjacent to my septic field in the cleared space east of the garage where I often walk and work.  Dead trees in this area pose a needless risk.

The ground crew stacks logs...

...and run the small stuff through the chipper.

Shane, one of Tim's crewmen, will come by before long to
cut and split these large logs.

Tim and his crew spent about two hours clearing out five large ash trees.  Tim's 40-foot boom put him at the top of these trees.  Using an "arborist" chainsaw, which requires only one hand to operate, Tim cut 3-4 foot sections and dropped the wood to the ground.  His crew then darted in to pick up and stack the sections.  Tim clearly has a lot of "tree surgery" experience.  Large sections were tied off with a rope so that, once cut and dangling, they could then be pieced and dropped.

The really heavy work fell to the ground crew, who had to muscle these heavy logs into a pile, clean up and chip the small debris, and keep from being hit by falling wood!

Tim (in bucket) waits while Shane gases up
a chainsaw.  My neighbor Floyd (left) looks on.

Finally, Tim and Co. were ready to deal with the Leaning Tower.  More on that in my next post. •••