Tiiimber!

We've been in the house for about 6 months now. It's a weird feeling of fast and slow and all in between. But one common thread has run through these 6 months; people love to just stop by trying to sell their services. Pine needles, lawn care, home decor, landscaping, and the most pressing to us, tree cutting.

Tree cutting. There was one tree in particular that these servicemen loved to bring to our attention. A large oak tree on the right side of our home, leaning toward our bedroom. We had first noticed it's bare branches in the summertime with Japanese hornets busily making their way in and out of it's hollowed trunk.

We've taken price quotes from each of these handymen and sent them on their merry way. Some have returned asking for our business while others have not. Finally come fall with the looming threat of ice, snow, and wind, we decided we must pay out of the pocket to have this distinctive yardpiece removed.

We chose our man, a local lumberjack, and pointed him in the direction of a baker's dozen worth of trees to take out while he was at it. He took one look at "the tree" and said, "Oh, we like to call those widowers. Once that thing falls, it's sure to take someone out in it's path." Comforting, eh? He was hired in November with the promise to us that he have it taken care of as soon as the ground dried out.

As soon as the ground dried out? It's been one of the wettest autumns in a very long time! The rain just kept coming and with no end in sight. Christmas came and went. Snow along with ice made me tremble in bed at night wondering if we'd be awoken by crashing limbs on their way to the ground.

And finally. finally. those freezing cold January days did us some good. On a sub-freezing morning while the ground was still solidly firm, they came. And on that day, my boys were in little boy heaven. And now I sleep better at night.