Taking the tree down

Two years ago when we looked at the property we now live on, we knew from the first time we saw the HUGE pine tree at the entry that we just had to have it.  I have never seen a tree that big.  This is it last spring.  See those little gray squares at the base of the tree?  Those are 10ft high 4 X 4 concrete columns. Amazing!  Last summer Texas saw record setting temperatures and one of the worst droughts in over 100 years. Our big beautiful tree was one of the casualties of that nasty summer.   Today, with the help of some wonderful neighbors the tree came down.  It was over 100ft tall, 100 years old and 11 feet in diameter

Here they are sizing up the job 

 

This is Cruz.  It is incredible to watch him, he has been the caretaker for the neighboring property for many years. He is giving us thumbs up after the first big limb fell

YES that is him almost to the top! With the wind blowing  YIKES!

He is always smiling.  We are very blessed to have him as a neighbor.

OK the branches are all cut, Cruz is down safely (whew) and it's time to cut the trunk down. 

I understand it needs to be pulled in a certain direction with a rope so it doesn't hit Shaun's shop, the gate or the road.....SO why does this next picture make me so uncomfortable??



Shaun's pretty red truck with, what we hope is a 100+ foot rope, tied to a HUGE tree trunk to pull it over.  Just so you know, this is how Shaun, Robert and Jeremy wanted to take the tree down in the first place.  No cutting off branches the size of trees, no weight management so it falls in the right direction, just tie it to the truck and pull....REALLY??? 

  Thank the good Lord for good neighbors!

We counted several times and came up with between 90 and 110 rings.  Cruz felt like the tree was at least 100 years old. When he came down from cutting the tree and took his gear off, he knelt in front of the tree and crossed himself.  He said he always feels bad when a big tree like this dies, like history is gone.  I must say I had a hard time not crying.  It hurts my heart to see such a beautiful piece of nature gone. 

Shaun and Jeremy have plans for some of the wood, maybe a bench or other memento.  We are leaving about 4 feet of the stump in the ground and will train the wisteria to grow on and around it.  We will still get to enjoy our beautiful tree, just in a different way.

Love to all of you

Jeanne