the pointy part of the roof is about 25 feet high
The big pine, the one that had a limb fall off several years back, was starting to rot where that limb fell and the huge sections were beginning to crack apart.
The worst of it, the one they took off first, was just over my bedroom and we had a heck of a time finding a tree crew to tackle the problem. They either wanted an eye-bulging amount or took one look and said, "No thanks!"
So, we asked CJ who knew a guy who called the next day and he came out to look at it, offered to do it for $200 less than our next lowest offer and while he's no arborist, he has been cutting trees since he could walk. He works with another guy who is bonded and has insurance, so we were good to go.
They stood out there for half an hour talking, pointing and making gestures, then they just started to work and it was amazing,
One guy climbed the tree WAY up and attached a chain. Then they cut all the lower limbs that might catch the roof while it fell. Then they tied the chain to a skidder and pulled it away from the house and zizz! About 6 seconds later it was down. They cut off the limbs and hauled the trunk to the big truck in about 3 minutes, it was FAST.
A little size reference
The second section came down fast, the skidder got it
Scary! Another fast fell between the house and shed, didn't even squash the fence!
Final cut took the rest down, they cut it into sections and hauled it off working well into the dark.
They have about an hour of cleanup and it's done. I am keeping some of the last bit here to do a bonfire, if the ban ever gets lifted!
I am so glad to have that tree down, I didn't realize how tense I was until it was on the ground and no longer literally looming over our heads. Matt said the same thing when he got in. It's too bad it had to go, but that rotten spot was terrifying and since last Monday when they came to do the estimate, the crack had gotten about an inch wider. They said there was so little living tree holding the branch over our room and the one angled over the back fence that it was just a miracle it hadn't already fallen.
Let this be a lesson to all-don't use a freaking PINE tree branch to hoist an engine block. We didn't, but a previous occupant did and that's what caused the whole problem.
We had lobster ravioli to celebrate and it was so darn good. I will be making that again! I adore Jake, but it's nice having him at work at night so I can make 'gross' stuff (like beans, sprouts, and ravioli) for dinner! haha
