There's been too much shade cast on one side of my friend José's newish Chestnut plantation, so he's called in the experts.
He, and his daughter Laurence, have felled all the smaller trees themselves, but the tallest of the pines were leaning all over the place, and they needed to be dropped in exactly the right spot or risk destroying part of his precious 'orchard'.
These guys are magnificent; they can drop a tree on a sixpence. They arrived yesterday with two chainsaws, this ancient big brown tractor/grabber, a very long length of wire rope, and a two-piece ladder.
Stand well back!..... You see which way the tree is leaning; guess which way it's going to fall.
I watched from as close as possible. Lady M stayed back at the house and drank tea from the grandstand. It was a wonderful show from either spot.
It's always a bit sad to see a tree being felled though, isn't it? (I don't know why it's sadder than picking brocolli - maybe it's their age?) - except, that is, when a tree is felled straight onto your moving car, as happened to me a few years ago...
ReplyDeleteOuch! In fact the removal of these errant pines has improved our distant view considerably. It's now more of a 'designer horizon'. Previously they stuck-up, and jarred!
ReplyDeleteIs the row still going on?
Cro, Your countryside reminds me of the low lands of South Carolina. Does it get humid there? Do you get ice storms?
ReplyDeleteNo and No. We get winter temperatures as low as minus 10 C, and summer temps as high as 38 C. Otherwise it's a temperate, seasonal, climate, not unlike southern England (but warmer and colder).
ReplyDeleteI hate to see old majestic beauties like this come down. We have several old pines about this same size that lost some large limbs in our recent ice storm. But we'll have plenty of firewood next winter.
ReplyDeleteThese are very straight tall trees. The timber would be great to build a log cabin. We've had a blizzard here and of all things, we had to move into our new house through it...
ReplyDeleteHave a great weekend! :)
It's kind of sad seeing a tree go down like that. Were these part of that charming lane you used to stroll through? if so then I'm really sad.
ReplyDeleteI do hate to see tree's felled (but anything for the view!). We used to have a neighbor across the street that literally cried(him) when he even heard a tree being taken down. He was really weird.
ReplyDeleteI think it's quite sad too when trees have to be chopped down. Especially when you consider how long it takes them to grow in the first place.
ReplyDeleteI know what you mean Cro, we had to have a huge gum tree removed some time back and 3 young men came with spiked boots,one climbed to the top and took all the branches off first, working his way down,then they dropped it in pieces as we have houses all round,amazing and all of 2 hours from start to finish,cleaned everything up then they mulched the stump,you would never know there was a tree there,but it had borers and was dangerous,we still miss it,O'h and it cost $1,000 dollars! not bad hourly rate was it! we have another now that has to come down as it takes the sun from the neighbours yard,I do not want it to go but one half is dead so we have no choice(do you think she has given it a dose of something? hope not).She askes everyday when we are taking it away..a friend will help with this one.
ReplyDeleteSend 'em round. We've two poorly ancient beeches. It's them or the orchard or...the garden room and crash, tinkle, tinkle - you get mt drift.
ReplyDeleteNobody wants to see trees go but sometimes it has to happen and isn't it good to see a master tree surgeon?
We can always - and should- replant for the future.
We have felled many a tree, both for clearing and for fuel, but wouldn't have dared to bring something as tall as those pines down in one piece. We have used professionals for very large trees and they are a joy to watch in action. A giant blue cedar died on us and I thought that the space that it was going to leave would be terrible, but once it was felled we had a new view which I really enjoyed!
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