Tree Removal -- Storm Edition

I think we've had too much removal around here already. Hopefully this is the last unless you count removing weed and vegetables from the garden. May 16th, we were in town celebrating Christian's birthday. It looked like a storm was rolling in and according to radar, which we use now instead of instincts, it was heading our way and looking grim.  I, always feeling better at home in a storm, was all for going home before it broke and Lynette and Anthony left a few minutes ahead of us. A mile from home the wind and rain hit full force. There were branches down and with the threat of hail (which didn't come) Anthony pushed all the tables aside that were ready for the graduation open house next day so we could put the cars in the garage. Then we came in and watched the storm. Our tree fell just after we got home. It was starting to split and we knew it was just a matter of time before it's time would come. My brother and wife stayed in town at Lorene's until the worst was over. By the time they got there the enormous spruce of our neighbor's that we could see had been uprooted and fallen on half the road. My brother and wife, took a tour of the neighborhood and took pictures so we could see the damage. I think every property sustained some damage, some more some less. There was some roof damage and one house had a branch go right through their garage door! 

Starting clean up. Barry came to help Jim butcher chickens and then helped load branches.

Planting new trees.

The following Friday, in the rain, we went to a nursery near Lincoln to look at trees. Jim wants to replace our windbreak with spruces, but it is better to plant them in the fall, so we picked out two trees, an Autumn Blaze and a Red Pointe maple. Jim realized that his pickup bed was far too small to haul a couple of 12' trees home so we paid and promised to come back the next day. 

Saturday then, Jim borrowed the dump trailer from the business, took the packing blankets and took off early enough to be there at 9:00. I didn't go, having plenty to do around home. While there he bought two more trees, a Linden and a Red Oak.  

That afternoon he planted them. One maple and the oak in back, the other maple and the linden in front. 

We have never had very good luck with maple trees in our clay soil. Jim has promised to take care of these, fertilizing and what not, so he better, for the price we paid for them!

 

More Removal, But Not Trees

Once upon a time, when we moved into our house, a big and I mean REALLY big water tank (we didn't know how big it was) buried in the yard north of our garage was used to store water for the subdivision to be used when the electricity went off. With no electricity to run the well, there was no water.  There was no circulation in that tank, the water just sat there and grew things, so if the water was dispersed, all the yuck would go right into our house pipes. 

Jim wanted it out of there. 

He fought hard to get it disconnected from the water system and the little shed that housed the valves removed. The tank remained, making a nice little hill that the kids would sled down, but Jim wanted it gone and the ground leveled.

A few years ago, he brought an excavator out to dig it out and discovered the thing was huge! 

Like 9 feet in diameter.  

Far too big for any thing he had, so it stayed in the ground, under it's little hill. 

Now, with this huge excavator pulling up our trees, Jim decides it's time to dig out that tank. 

So, they do.

There are far more photos of this tank than anyone really need to see, but the scope of the whole business is just beyond belief and I want the photos.

When the time came to pull it out, they hooked a log chain to the tank and pulled. The chain broke. They put on another chain and pulled. That chain broke. It really was more than the excavator could handle. Using a cable, they dragged the tank to the end of the yard.

Nicely piled dirt from the hole to keep the tank from rolling away.

Loading

And away it goes. It weighed 35000 pounds at the scrap yard.

Filling and Compacting

We had the boys come to see the big hole.

Filled in and ready to be leveled. 

Leveling both the tank spot and the tree spot

Tree Removal -- Part 2

Early May, the project begins.

This photo has nothing to do with the trees except Jim is using the tractor for hauling branches and it shows the newly sown grass spot.

A big enough excavator picks up a trees like we pick up sticks.

These few cedars come down by breaking down the top first.

It took 12 loads to take away the branches. Jim will cut up the logs to use in the fireplace.