Lumberjacking

During the last big wind storm, I lost another sizable branch off a maple in the front yard.  Unfortunately, the branch was still attached to the tree, quite far up in the air.  I had thought I would need Ryan to come back and help me with more clean up.  But...when I was chatting about this while playing cards, one of the guys mentioned that he had purchased an electric pole saw.  A little chain saw, attached to a telescoping pole, and that it worked really slick.  So, after bridge, off to Menard's I went and came home with an $85 pole saw.  The assembly was pretty simple since it only needed chain oil added.  In no time, I got busy and cut down the broken branch.  Once the branch was on the ground, detaching the little saw from the pole made for quick work of chopping up the branches into lengths that were easily hauled to the brush pile in the woods.  I was very pleased.

Then I started looking around at the rest of my trees and seeing several higher up branches that needed to go, I started another project.

I decided to get rid of the branch on the right, as it overhangs the roof and rubs on the shingles.

 This double trunk maple is too close to the house and probably pretty weak.

A tree specialist banded it for me about 5 years ago, so that helps keep it from splitting in half.

Eventually, I'll have it taken down, but that won't be done with my little electric saw :-).

For now, I wanted to get the branch that was hanging over the roof.

Well, I thought I had taken some photos during the ordeal, but evidently I only pointed the camera towards my trouble.  Starting the sawing was easy, it was going along well, but I had not given much thought to how this branch was going to break off once it was unstable.

So, when it cracked, I let off the throttle and instantly, my saw was caught in the cut.

Pinched tight.

I could run the saw, but there was not even a little wiggle when I pushed and pulled.

I had visions of my pole saw hanging in the tree until someone could come and help me.

That would not do.

So, after trying a crowbar, and a couple of other lame ideas, I got the ladder.

From the other side of the tree, on the ladder, I could just BARELY reach the branch enough to saw and add to the cut.  But I had to use my left hand, and this is surely not my forte.

Slow going would be quite an understatement.

I think this went on for about 1/2 hour or more.

Finally, I decided to sit down for a bit, and think over my options for solving this problem.

Just as I reached the lawn chair, I heard a big crack noise so I husted back to my pole saw.

The branch had given me a little space and I was able to get a bite with the saw and finish the job.

Whew!

Once on the ground, even though the branch was pretty hefty, I was able to cut it up into manageable lengths and proceed with the clean up.

I'm very pleased with the results.

You probably can't really tell from these photos, but this branch really needed to go.

 I also better understand why Ryan always takes so much wood out when he comes to trim trees.

Using that little saw is kind of fun, I'm already looking for my next project.

Hopefully my lumberjack problem-solving won't be needed on the next one.