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Major Tree Damage - Major Problems

October 29th, 2011 at 11:01 pm

The freak winter snowstorm is far from over, but I already have more tree damage than I can deal with.

They're forecasting about a foot by the time it's through tomorrow morning. In the meantime, I already have more tree limbs down than I can count.

The worst is a half a sugar maple tree that grew on an upward slope in the backyard. Half of it came crashing down, at its base, and it landed in a smaller crabapple tree in the backyard while taking a good-sized branch of another sugar maple with it.

Now the tree rests, suspended horizontally above the ground and held in mid-air by the crabapple tree.

So it would take professionals to cut it up and remove it. Thing is, I'm in no position to spend several thousand dollars to remove it. My homeowners deductible is $5,000, so we won't be going there.

It's going to be a problem.

I will have my hands full just going around and dragging and cutting up other smaller limbs that came down. There's a large white birch at the foot of my driveway which is now bowed over the drive by the snow and blocking passage. It's touching the ground. I'm hoping that my shaking off the snow tomorrow, I can get it to rise back high enough to get my car through there.

I feel blessed to still have power, although a strange, transformer like sound is buzzing intermittently over by my neighbor's wires. I'm thinking there must be a tree branch on the line.

Although it is relatively calm windwise, they're forecasting winds up to 40 and now that it's getting dark out, that's when it gets scary: pitch black, windy and lord knows how many more tree limbs to fall.

I really wish I had a pickup truck. I'm so reliant on others to help me out, and really there's just one guy who's been over with his chainsaw and i haven't really encouraged the friendship. He's just not someone I really warm up to but he has been hugely helpful in the past cutting up trees. I just don't feel I can call him, once again, becus i haven't called him in so long. Surely he would feel used, andi guess i wouldn't blame him.

I'm going to have to fine new places to drag these tree limbs or spend several years cutting them up with my little bow saw, stuffing them in the trunk of my Honda and carting them to the landfill.

A doe and her two fawns, now spotless, have wandered through the back yard to the front, looking for thee small little apples still on the ground. I think they like the instant cover created by the fallen tree limbs.

Sigh. I still haven't finished cleaning up fallen limbs from Hurricane Irene. This is a constant problem.

11 Responses to “Major Tree Damage - Major Problems”

  1. creditcardfree Says:
    1319926049

    Oh, I'm so sorry to hear this. These early winter (fall) storms are so tough on trees and power lines. I would say to do the best you can and the bigger trees can wait until you are in a position to hire someone to take care of it. Of course, I'm not looking out at the situation, but that is my first thought.

  2. gattaca Says:
    1319929724

    Could you post something on Craigslist to have someone come cut up the trees and they can take the wood as payment?

  3. starfishy Says:
    1319930913

    bummer! i was thinking along the same lines as gattaca - posting a craiglist ad looking for someone to cut up the trees/branches for $15/hour or whatever you are willing to pay (the free wood is a good idea, too). my friend has found house cleaners, yard workers, gardeners, etc., doing that. there might be someone with a chainsaw looking for some extra money and you could just have them work for as many hours as you can afford to pay. i hope the snow stops soon!

  4. rob62521 Says:
    1319937094

    Sorry about the trees...hope you continue to have power.

  5. baselle Says:
    1319938270

    I'm sorry about the trees. When they still have leaves, snow and wind are a big problem - leaves turn into little flat roofs (snow) and little sails (wind). Any possibility that a local plant nursery has a little bulletin board that advertises some of these services?

  6. LuckyRobin Says:
    1319941755

    I'm sorry the storm has been so hard on your property.

  7. frugaltexan75 Says:
    1319943872

    Ugh! That does sound like a problem. What about offering the guy with the chainsaw some home cooking or another service he may be in need of which you could do? That way it would be more of a barter than "using". The free wood might be an enticement too.

  8. CB in the City Says:
    1320003257

    Ugh. Just what you needed. I think the Craigslit suggestion is a good one.

  9. Ima saver Says:
    1320005961

    I am so sorry to hear about this.

  10. creditcardfree Says:
    1320014877

    Did you lose power? We haven't heard from you today. Take care.

  11. Jerry Says:
    1320178720

    Sounds like quite a storm, and I'm sorry that it leads to so many problems with the trees. I agree that maybe contacting someone with a chain saw and offering a barter could provide some insurance that he doesn't feel used at all. Good luck digging out!
    Jerry

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