Gone later today.......
Yesterday was the day for the tree removal crew to arrive. They were scheduled for two days and I was expecting them to remove all the limbs on the first day and remove the trunks and grind the stump on the second. I was wrong.
This 4-man crew worked fast. I arrived home just shy of 3:30 in the afternoon yesterday and all that was left of the mighty sequoia was one 30-40 ft trunk - the one leaning towards the neighbors shed.
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| (One trunk left to go) |
I was able to watch them cut it down. It made quite the boom when it landed.
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| (Last of the trunks down, now just the stump) |
I think their hardest part of the day came when they had to saw off the rest of the stump, seen above, so the grinders could come in.
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| (Stump ready for grinding 7ft in diameter at the base) |
They ended up sawing through it and chopping it in pieces. I couldn't help but think they would have made great end tables or coffee tables.
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| (One section of lower trunk/stump) |
When the crews left close to 6 pm last night our back yard looked like this:
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| (No more sequoia) |
Man, that side fence has to go. Nice Oregon moss decomposing the fence boards - only on the ones that were under the tree though. Luckily the neighbors have a chain link fence on the other side to keep their dog in so the only thing we lose is privacy and when you neighbor is well over 6ft tall, the fence doesn't afford much privacy anyway.
Today another crew came in to grind the stump. All that remained when we got home was a large area of sawdust.
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| (That is a lot of sawdust) |
We are thinking it might be a good location for a blueberry patch.
Now the back yard appears quite large to us. We realized the tree was encroaching, but I don't think we realized how much. Let the clean up begin.
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| (Not quite an 'after' picture but getting closer) |
We have friends and neighbors coming to take the free wood away. Once it is gone and the rains stop we can begin to transform that corner. Fence removal and planning and planting of evergreens around the perimeter and filling it in with some shrubs and perennials.
- Au Revoir
" The best time to plant a tree was 20 years ago. The next best time is now." - Chinese Proverb
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Trobairitz,
ReplyDeleteMarvelous photos! I hope you save a few pieces of that beautiful wood for furniture, walking sticks, and for plain old whittling.
Tom
We were just thinking of what to save a few pieces for. One of our friends is taking a few of the 10 footers and is going to be all creative. I am glad part of it will be saved.
DeleteAlways sad to see a tree cut down, but looked like it had to be done. You may have mentioned it in your earlier post, but did the removal crew tell you how old they thought it was? Just curious.
ReplyDeleteThe crew didn't say but our neighbors have been here since the neighborhood was built. They said the tree was actually there when they moved in 40 years ago. Brad counted some rings and he too is guessing about 40 years. Not as long as those giant ones in California, but a long time. A shame to take it out but the liability of it taking out the neighbors shed in a wind storm wasn't good either.
DeleteWow, I bet you get a lot more light in the garden now!
ReplyDeleteYou're right about those slabs, they'd make great tables and wot not. A mate of mine has made some great coffee tables out of slabs of macracarpa very similar to those.
Yeah, it does seem brighter back there. The macracarpa look nice - a form of cyprus I believe. I can see why it would make nice slabs.
DeleteGeez Brandy you are getting hit hard by the spammers!!
ReplyDeleteOK so on to the real comment .. such a shame to lose such a beautiful tree but as was said in the previous post they aren't made for back yards are they. I had the same thought bout end tables and coffee tables when I saw all that wood.
Cant wait to see how you plant the new area in your yard .. I'm so envious of your green thumb (I'm actually managing to kill a desert plant .. how do I kill a plant that doesn't need regular watering >.<). I couldn't really get a sense of how big that tree was til I saw the tiny man next to it with a chainsaw .. now I realise just how big and dangerous it was.
I think I deleted 6 spam comments when I got up this morning. Persistent buggers the lot of them.
DeleteI dunno about green thumb, we've lost a few plants over the years (house plants don't always do well with me) and there are times when things get transplanted over and over until we find the right spot, but I guess we do all right. Must be all the Oregon rain. As long as we remember to water them in the summer.
That tree was massive just like the spam your getting, except it easier to deal with the tree.
ReplyDeleteLooks like they made short work of it indeed.
Feel free to visit my blog....http://chillerteksr1page.blogspot.com.au/
You are a cheeky monkey aren't you?
DeleteI laughed out loud when I read your comment. Good job!
Geez, ya go to bed early and whamo the spam hits. Easy to deal with during the day as I get an email about comments, but not so easy when sleeping.
ReplyDeleteBlogger was catching 99% in the spam filter until about 3 days ago and now 99% is getting posted. They must have changed their settings, sheesh.
No spam here! Glad to hear from you again..or have I just missed your posts lately?
ReplyDeleteThat forest behind your yard looks veeery interesting! Is there sneaky singletrack snaking through it?
That was certainly a whopping tree. They seem so majestic from down here and it is a shame it had to go, but you can always save some of it for coasters/placemats/doorstops etc.
No, there just haven't been many posts from me lately. The last one was new helmet/tree related. I did get out on the bike today though. A nice ride to work in a gully washer. Luckily it was just sprinkling but sunny on the way home.
DeleteThe forest goes a little ways until it hits the railroad tracks. Hubby has had his Tiger back there before. You need to doge the homeless tents though as they sometimes like to camp back there. One more reason we have a wire fence instead of no fence. Not just to keep the 4-legged critters out.
It's always sad to lose a mature tree but sometimes tough decisions have to be made. Having had more than one come down on a roof over the years I'm more sensitive to the problem and more willing to take one out when needed. But it's always nice if you can make use of the wood in some way rather than just trucking it off or burning it.
ReplyDeleteYeah, we've been agonizing over taking the tree out for several years. It is weird that it is gone now.
DeleteThe neighbors will burn some of the wood and build things with other portions of it so luckily it won't all go to waste.
That wood is gorgeous. You should totally get someone to make a couple of tables for you. Just keep the biggest log, have someone cut a couple of crosspieces and you'll be set. All that sawdust will make for some very fertile blueberry-growing ground!
ReplyDeleteI think most wood is gorgeous. There is something about the swirls in it and of course the smell.
DeleteThe nurseries use sawdust for packing their bare root fruit trees and shrubs and roses too, so it should be pretty good for the blueberries.
Trobairitz:
ReplyDeletewe also reclaimed our yard and we cut down a few trees too. It was mainly the tree mess and dead branches after wind storms but also we now get lots of light into our back yard. Before the trees would block the setting sun and make it cold back there.
It's almost like you are getting more back yard for free. We also had a few blueberry bushes but we never got to eat any. The birds always beat us to them
bob
Riding the Wet Coast
I wouldn't say we were getting more back yard for free.....you can buy a pretty nice bike for the two grand it cost to take it out.
DeleteAlthough it was weird to pay someone else to do the work for a change. Everything else we've done to this place - replacing windows, moving walls, gutting the bathroom and kitchen, building a walk in closet, etc we've done it all ourselves so this was quick and easy. Now we're spoiled.
We have two blueberry bushes that are fairly small now and we'll probably transplant them back there and add others to it. Luckily Basil will keeps the birds away. Well not really, we still have tons of birds at the feeders. It is like they know a lazy cat lives here.
SPAM - SPAM - SPAM
ReplyDeleteI was amazed at the number of spam comments there were last night. You must be popular...
That tree didn't look as large in the earlier post. Maybe this one had someone standing next to the trunk. I would be tempted to do something with the slabs but in reality, it would probably just sit around. It's amazing how much more open the yard feels without a large tree looming over.
SPAM - SPAM - SPAM
And three more this afternoon too. And so it begins again. I think they are overseas or definitely in another time zone as the spam is more active in the afternoon and overnight.
DeleteI am glad I included a picture with one of the guys in it so people could see size. I should have taken the before picture with Brad standing under it.
It really does feel more open. We actually feel a little 'bare assed to the wind" iffin you know what I mean.
As everyone else has said, how sad when you must take down a tree, especially a sequoia, but you know you did the right thing.
ReplyDeleteYeah it had to be done. I'll hug a few trees and plant a few trees in it's honor and it'll all be good.
DeleteI used a hollow stump that I found in my parents woodpile as a planter. It was too unwieldy to break up with the log splitter and was just going to be an inconvenience for them, so I loaded it in my car trunk and hauled it home. It looks beautiful filed with flowers, spikes and vinca vines in the summer.
ReplyDeleteOooh I am loving that idea Julie. Now if only the stumps were hollow. Wonder if I could cut away the inside somehow to make planters. I really do like the idea.
DeleteFree firewood, trust me to be to far away.
ReplyDeleteYeppers and it is a little too cumbersome to ship to you too.
DeleteCan't use it for our pellet stove either. Still have to buy bags of pellets for it, damn.
Bet that really opens up the back yard. Always hate to see trees having to go, but sometimes it's for the best. The upside is planning the new landscaping - Yay new project!
ReplyDeleteI think it was about a year ago Troubadour helps us save our plum tree.
Has it been that long ago with the plum? I am glad it is holding up. Such a pretty tree.
DeleteIt will be fun to have that corner of the yard back.
Always wiser to take those out before doing lots of damage. We had a Global Willow fall one winter in a very early, heavy, wet snow. Like yours, the trunks when in different directions: one into the street, one downed the fence between us and neighbors, and one onto our house. I asked for a slab to make a table top with. Yeah. Wasn't gonna happen. Even only 3 inches thick I couldn't lift the thing. I'm glad the wood is going to people that will use it.
ReplyDeleteYikes. That is just the story we are trying to avoid. When your attorney looks at it and tells you to get rid of it you know it is a liability. So out it went.
DeleteI am afraid we won't be able to lift any of these slabs either. The neighbor has been chopping wood to burn and our friend is going to come get the long boards and funky pieces to make cool stuff.
Wow, that WAS a big tree. Maybe I'd only seen it on the smartphone and didn't appreciate its size. I agree with the other comments, even nice trees get overwhelming in smaller spaces. We get so anxious for them to get bigger and once they get going, they often get to be too much for urban spaces.
ReplyDeleteNew opportunities for the space!
It was a huge tree. A very pretty, messy to clean up after, worry about it falling on your house kind of tree. I cringe when driving through town and I see a cedar or other evergreen planted by a house. You know the owner hasn't thought about the size it will be when it ages. One can hope it is a dwarf variety.
DeleteSad to see the tree down but I can't wait to see what you are going to make out of the opportunity. I loved your garden before, I am sure it will turn out even lovelier when you are done with it.
ReplyDeleteIt'll be fun to transform the space, and goodness knows I could do with some exercise. I feel like I've been hibernating all winter.
DeleteThat's a lot of new backyard to have some fun with...after seeing the pictures of your front yard, I have no doubt that you will have a lovely backyard corner too. Now the work really begins!
ReplyDeleteThank you m'lady for the nice compliments. We enjoy gardening and yard work (for the most part) so it will be fun to do. I am hoping there will still be some shade back there as I's love to put in some hostas, heuchera, and helleborus. I've always wanted helleborus that bloom from aboutFebruary on.
DeleteDoes anyone know what happened to Wisconsinland? I get this nasty message that the blog has been "removed". Did she do something wrong?
ReplyDeleteMartha was having troubles with her blogger photos the last couple of days so I am hoping it is just residual issues she is having and nothing dire.
DeleteI get the same message when trying to click on her blog. Hopefully we'll hear from her in a day or two.
Sure hate you had to cut, gut and quarter the poor tree but is understandable seeing the leaning trunk. Tip: mix in lime and dirt with all the saw dust left in the hole from the stump. Just leaving the saw dust in there alone and trying to get anything to grow will be a struggle for several years. I've lost/removed several old Oaks in my yard in twenty years and where I did the above mentioned you can't even tell a tree was there. The saw dust alone will take years to decompose down and you'll be left with a sunken hole.
ReplyDeleteGood idea with the lime and dirt. The sawdust is really fine and we'll see how much we have leftover for that corner after we finish suing some of it for mulch in the beds out back. We were getting low on bark mulch from a few years ago and so we used sawdust in one of the beds out back so far. It looks nice and should keep some of those weeds at bay. The plantings are done in those beds so they are around established plants at this point.
DeleteWe don't want to be left with a sunken hole that is for sure. Thanks again for the tips Wooley.
Great suggestion. I took out a tree a couple of years ago and didn't mix dirt into the sawdust thinking that it would make great growing material and it took years before anything grew in that area of the yard.
ReplyDeleteAny more spam today?
Feel free to visit my blog at Free worthless advice
Based on your and Wooley's experience we'll get some dirt delivered and mix it in when the times comes to plant back there.
DeleteI deleted 7 more spam and about a dozen yesterday. Most were caught by the spam filter which is nice. I think only 2-3 got through. I think the new joke with this crowd is going to be the 'visit my blog' thing. It makes me laugh, you all have such a great sense of humor.
I hope to SEE the photos soon. I have arrived at the conclusion this is a problem with the motel server. I've spent days on this problem and that is all that is left. When I am out of here maybe I can see photos again.
ReplyDeleteI am temporarily back, able to view Blogger sites. It IS the motel server that is messing up everything- after they "improved" it. No guarantees.
DeleteI hope my blog is back within a few days.
You have a lot of area to play with now that the tree is gone. Check that soil for acidity?
Weird that the motel server is showing your blog doesn't even exist. Or did you do that jus to protect it while at the motel? Hope it gets straightened up soon.
DeleteI've never checked a soil for acidity but I know the sequoia needles are acidic so it makes sense it would be acidic under the tree. At least blueberries are acid loving as would rhododendrons or the like. Maybe we'll look for a kit to test it.
The whole motel wifi thing is crazy. Even with a cable it's goofy.
DeleteMy blog was taken down thanks to Google. I made a mistake filling in info and they said it was a security breach and suspended my account. Now I'm waiting for them to reinstate me. If security info does not match the other security info, even by one letter or number, they can and will take you down. Heart stopping.
So, I wait.
Holy crap on the google issue. I can't believe they took it down for security issues. With as much spam as we get (12 overnight) the fact that they took down your blog is just ridiculous.
DeleteIf you want I'l post up a quick post and let everyone know you are okay and will be back soon. I know people have been looking for you but I don't want to post it without you okaying it.
You need a medal for your patience too by the way!!
That looks like the perfect spot for a kickass motorcycle shop, I mean a garden shed.
ReplyDeleteDon't think both of those haven't already gone through Brad's head. You can build up to 200 sq ft without a permit. Not sure on electrical though.
DeleteHe's pondering. Or is that scheming.