TIMBER

My husband (Paul Bunyan with a Husqvarna chainsaw) decided yesterday to tackle the cottonwood. We have two of them right outside our door on the south side of our house. LaVern wants both trees gone because of the solar aspect. I wanted them gone because there was a huge limb hanging over the house and I suspected that part of it was hollow. I saw birds going down into it last summer. And also did not enjoy all of the cottonwood white stuff piled on the deck during its shedding time. Now mind you we are talking a 60 foot HUGE tree. I actually think it was two trees growing together. LaVern got out his information about where and how to cut a tree down. He was talking about tying a rope to it with the pickup. He even got his big ladder out and was ready to cut off some of the larger limbs. Finally I heard him say, "I'm just gonna cut it down". Okay.......I headed over to stand in the road. This tree was at least 4 foot in diameter if not more. He cut the wedge and then stopped. A funny look on his face. Oh boy! He took out his ear plugs and said to me that he thought it was hollow. Okay..........further out in the road I moved. I assumed we would be looking at a hour of cutting but I was sure wrong. He made the back cut and BOOM it came down.

We were sure in for a big surprise. That tree is completely hollow clear down to the ground. There was only about 4 inches of trunk holding it up. I can not believe it was still standing. What a blessing we have it down! A wind could easily have toppled it over on to the house. The second tree will be cut down soon as the rain quits. It has been raining all day so needless to say the tree is still in the middle of our driveway.