Bringing Down a Twin of the Elms

Yes, last week was rather full for me. (As I've already confessed last Friday, I plumb forgot about the RoseBouquet on Tuesday, as I was pressing hard to finish up my genealogy database - only I didn't succeed. Not yet.)

I had called my cousin Gary to remind him that we were going to get my elm tree that has been leaning over the roof of my house a long time and went dry last summer so it could easily break off and damage the roof.

Because it is an American Elm tree - we have city by-laws about when an elm can be cut. It's all about Dutch Elm Disease which spreads to other trees if cut during the months the sap flows. Thus, it is illegal to cut down an elm between April 1st, and September 1st. If you need to do it, it must be done before April or after September 1st.

However, Gary already has the same job as last summer with asphalt. It takes up 6 long days a week, and pays well. So he was kind enough to find someone else who would be willing to cut that north-leaning twin of the elm tree, and before April 1st.

Chris brought his buddy with him, (I've forgotten his name) to come look at the tree early last week. I got the impression that they had lots of experience but did this on the side. But it seemed that they would only cut the upper branches and I would have to find some other way of cleaning up the branches. The price they quoted seemed reasonable, $400-500 for cutting.

But then Chris phoned me on Friday to confirm that they would come Saturday at 10 am and that they would cut that twin down to a stump, but that would be $600, and another $600 for loading all the branches and taking them to the dump where there are extra fees because elm wood has to be disposed of in a separate way.

I agreed, but mentioned that I had an appointment for my vaccine shot in the afternoon, however, I should not be gone very long.

Before 10 am I went to move my car out of the tent/garage and around to the front so they could come and go from there to load their truck/trailer or what ever. As I did, the other man, not Chris showed up in the alley, so he came in and spread out his tools, and was soon at work. (Chris had called to say he had to empty his truck and trailer at the dump before he could arrive.)

It turned out that his buddy was the really experienced tree-cutter! He put on his gear, with spurs on his boots so he could 'walk' up the tree by driving his spurs into the sides of the trunk and the medium branches.

Chris showed up a little later and he worked the ropes so the cut branches could be tugged to fall where they wanted them, (as opposed to on my roof, or in the neighbours' yard).

I'll now show you the cutting down of the tree with 10 photos. Because I was gone for about an hour, it may seem there is a gap. :) I'll add a minimum of commentary.

The one to the left is the elm to come down. (It had a big theremometer on it).



This is the view from the end of the garden.



There is the tree-cutter starting above my roof!



Chris's working at pulling branches away from the house onto the garden with ropes that the cutter wrapped around the branches. (Chris said they were very heavy!)



In free moments Chris was chopping the branches up smaller.



The tree-cutter is making progress!



Now he is nearer to the main trunk....



When I got back from my vaccine shot, they had got down to the stump.



They were working together to gather up the last of the smaller twigs and branches. A great blessing!



After the men were gone, I took another look; that twin elm was gone - except for the stump, and some sawdust.

I was too exhausted to sweep it up then; I did not feel 100% on Sunday, and yesterday was a snow storm! So when the temperatures warm up and the snow is melted again, I'll start tidying up the yard and garden. But in small spurts of work! I need to build up my stamina again for this summer.

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