Tree trimming

We had two trees trimmed in our back yard yesterday. Of course I forgot to get a 'before' pic, and didn't feel right taking any 'during' pics. So both these are what they look like now after the fact. 

This had been on my to-do list for... yeah, several years. Suffice to say this was perhaps my most-procrastinated project ever. I know. I'm not proud.

Actually, it wasn't entirely my fault. It's not easy finding someone to do tree work anymore. I called two companies that had good ratings and I never received a response. Finally I called Marvin - who has a giant sign in his yard a couple blocks away - and he got back to me within the hour. He was here the next day with a quote, and since it's the 'off-season' was able to do it whenever I wanted (plus at an off-season price).

Originally I hoped to have like the top 1/3 of both these trees removed, so we would still get good shade in the summer. However, Marvin suggested removing some of the lower branches growing sideways or downward that posed a greater risk of falling on the house and/or power line and preserving the sturdiest branches straight up that are the main part of the tree. That made sense, plus they use "climbers" instead of a bucket truck so it would have been near impossible to top these trees in the limited space we have. 

Not only did I have to call a tree trimmer, but Marvin also suggested I call the power company and have them drop the line from the pole to my house. He said they could work around it if need be, but it was a lot safer doing it beforehand and would maybe save having to pay to have them reconnect if it were to accidentally get taken down by a limb (they do it for free if you schedule it before). So I made TWO phone calls! Whew.

The day of the work (yesterday): The power company was set to disconnect our power at 8:30am. I ran my 7 miles at the gym and hurried home to get ready. However the guy was here at 8! That was fine, but I wasn't able to get a shower when I planned to. Anyway, it was near 8:30 when he was done, and then I got a text from Marvin that his "climber" went to the ER that morning, so he was waiting on his second climber. He said he would be there around 9:30. Shortly after that Marvin and his wife showed up, along with a pickup pulling a flat-bed trailer with three other guys. I believe the first limb was dropped at 10:10am. 

There was one climber and the other two guys and Marvin's wife did cleanup on the ground. Marvin himself had just had carpel tunnel surgery, so he was on the ground supervising the climber. They didn't have a chipper, but instead just loaded all the branches and downed logs onto the trailer. I couldn't believe they got it all in one load.

I had a lunch meeting at 11:30, and when I got back at 12:45 the climber was done and gone, the power company had returned to reconnect the electricity, and the ground crew was just cleaning up. I wrote them a check for the agreed-upon $1850 and they were gone before 2pm. That went way quicker than I expected.

I'd say everything went okay. It was a little nerve-racking listening to big limbs thud on the ground, and a couple times I heard scrape-age on the side of the house; one big limb was tied off on a rope and back-swung into the sliding-glass door, but nothing was damaged. I still wish the trees weren't so tall, but I'm not really in the mood to pay someone else to bring a truck in now and top them. I also didn't really want to lose that much shade, but it will be nice not having to pick up as many sticks and worrying quite as much about limbs on the house or power line. So, all in all, that part of it went well.

Personally... ugh. I was nervous as a cat about this. Not only the tree work, but the power disconnect too. It seems any time things like this are done there is almost always something that comes up. Plus I felt kinda like I was all alone in this endeavor, and I don't do well on my own. On top of that I was not feeling great. I haven't slept for crap in days, my heart rate had been high and heavy (which always makes it difficult to sleep) and my blood pressure had been up a little. In addition to the physical I've also been dealing with some mental stuff in regard to communication and loneliness... and I was a wreck. I didn't sleep much again last night and just lay on the couch totally exhausted. Finally I noticed I couldn't hear or feel my heart pounding at least, and wonder if I just wore myself out.

Today it is raining (unlike the beautifully sunny 60F we had yesterday). I lifted weights early like usual and intended to run outside at 8. I just can't get into 45 degrees in the rain though, so I'm still just sitting here. 

I'm glad the tree work is done - though I will still worry about limbs falling on our house, the power line, or the neighbors house or fence (and they would likely do more damage now). I continue to feel up and down physically (and it seems more down now than it used to). I'm tired. I've got one of those 'gut feelings' that I don't like. And... I just don't like feeling like I'm alone. I feel kinda like this tree looks. All by myself, exposed and vulnerable. 

Such is life, I suppose. We never know when a part of us will be lopped off. And so I've once again managed to turn something as simple as trimming trees into a sad yarn about my pathetic life. You're welcome. Just be glad YOU don't have to live with me and my brain...