GOOD JOB EMILY – YOU GOT IT ON THE NOSE. THE TREE WAS 97 YEARS OLD.
Remember when I said our power was out? This is why:
Dwarfs their house a bit huh?
This is my neighbor's tree AFTER a whole day of trimming, and it actually looks pretty good here. This giant cedar was neglected by the city (in our town those areas in front of sidewalks are managed by the city), so it got all wonky and out of control. My neighbor wanted a branch cut that was on his house, the city said no and ended up cutting down the whole tree. Um… logic? Anyway it's been quite a process, they've been at it for eight days now.
They come and cut and then in the afternoons/evenings the juvenile detention boys come and cut it up for fire wood and haul it off to give to needy families (when things go on in my neighborhood I like to talk to the workers, but I'm not that nosey, I swear!).
End of the week last week. Tuesday has been loving watching all of this from our little window upstairs. And by loving I mean fully body spasms of happiness. Today was the big day. They still had a few branches to get down.
They used a pulley system to get all of those down, it was actually pretty interesting, but I never got a picture of it. Once they got to this point they used wedges. This was about when the guy got his chainsaw stuck.
Which I found amusing. Until he started hitting it with an ax. I was sure I was going to see blood.
But he got it figured out. Here the tree is all wedged and ready to go.
I also didn't think this idea of using the power pole for a pulley set up was the best, but
it worked. And did this to the sidewalk.
And rumbled our house. But the big show was to come.
I thought it would be a while and all the sudden I look outside and it's like this so I run to grab my camera.
just in time.
boom
I happened to snap this:
The boss drove up just after it happened and the worker there is giving a thumbs up. Of course I had to go check this out myself (Tuesday was napping). I'm sure you want a good scale shot, well don't worry because I am the nerd who is going to fulfill your wishes.
The guy's response to taking my picture? "um, ok." You can't see the guy just out of frame who lit up a cigarette right after the tree came down. Hmm. Of course I had to ask how old the tree was (they weren't going to check!). The guy said as long as the boss wasn't looking, checked over his shoulder and counted for me. He told me his estimate and explained some tree growth stuff. Then he told me that my neighbors will probably have to wait to get new trees planted because he had already planted his allotment (only 250 trees) around town. Boo on that. I'm glad this is down for my neighbor's sake, it was so scary every time we had ice storms and our street was littered with the smaller branches. We all kind of felt like it was only a matter of time.
Oh and I asked what they were going to do with this big log. I thought they would sell it to a mill because it's beautiful cedar. The guy said that no one would come get it because it would cost a lot to get a self loading log truck in here. Plus he didn't think there were any more mills in the area that could take logs this big (forestry is a big industry here but it's a very managed thing so no old growth like this is being cut anymore). So this too will be cut up into firewood for the needy. Now, I'd like to know how heavy this this was! Isn't nature the coolest?
SO how old do you think this thing is? I'm 5'4" (what? I'm wearing clogs!). I don't have a specific prize in mind, it could be a bundle of fat quarters with a tree theme, or some handspun, or fiber or scrapbooking stuff… I have a lot of crafty goodness in here, so I'll quiz you and pick something good. Guess away, if two people guess the right age I'll put the names in a hat and pick one.
edited to add: closest either way wins, and I'll leave this open until Thursday 11:59 PM (pacific).
That’s really cool. I will guess 58 years old. LOL. I am probably way off!!
I’m guessing 116. I am picturing you nosing around these city workers, you’re funny. Too bad the tree had to go, but as Aaron said to me when he saw the picture, “That house would have been toast!”
WOO HOO, EIGHTY TWO!!!!!
Yes, it would have. Of course my nightmares always involved a chain reaction – it falling onto my next door neighbor’s tree, and then that somehow hitting us.
WOW thats awesome…. my boys wold have had a ball with that happening right across the street… they would have been right in line behind you for pix!! No guess for me I am a terrible age – guesser….. 🙂
Hm. I am going to guess 73 yrs old.
Those are some pretty cool pics. I can just imagine my son having a blast watching the trees come down.
I think 101 years.
Aren’t we about the same height? I’m 5′ 1″!
xx
I am thinking 127 years. I don’t know where that number came from other than just popping in my head. Have a great day.
Wow what a job! I am guessing 93 – I’ve no idea why though 🙂
I’m guessing 225 years old. That’s a pretty big tree. Love your blog.
I’m guessing 150 years. Very cool pictures!
It’s amazing that those tree guys actually know what they’re doing…when we had the tree in our front yard cut down, I was so skeptical and afraid the thing would fall right on our house (it didn’t of course). I would guess the tree is 217 years old 🙂 That sucker is huge!
I’d guess about 110
WOW! Sorry I missed the final cut! Interesting and yes I too always worried about the tree coming down on my car when I visited. My guess is 95 years!
I’m guessing 101.
I’m going to guess 122. We have some like that in our neighborhood too. Luckily, they aren’t city trees and the neighbors have managed them quite nicely. However, when they get that big there is no growing grass under them so our neighbors whole yard is “tree” that’s it!!
I’ll guess 201 years old. Sad that it had to go, but it sounds like it was necessary.
My guess is 63 years
how about 114
48? Can’t imagine the tree was very big when the house behind it was built. Great job on the pics!
There is a mill somewhat locally that handles old growth logs. They are out of Monroe. Very cool, very old family owned mill.
It would be very expensive to come in and load up the logs and the length they are cut is pretty short for a mill to handle.
That crazy branching comes from repeated damage, either from frost, weather, mowing etc. It really destabliizes the tree as it grows older.
I can’t tell from the pictures if rot has started to settle into the bole or not.
Those branches are heavy and could have casued a lot of damage. We had to take down a similar tree from our yard.
How about 140 for the age?
120
Hmmm. I will guess 97.
It makes me kind of sad. 🙁
I love trees!
I think its much older than we think. I am guessing 350 years old.
Let’s see I guess 125 yrs!
43. I don’t know why but that’s my guess!
Hmmm, I am going to guess 127…what a fun picture diary of the whole process. I would have liked to see the guys face when you asked for a picture:)
i say…55
I’m guessing 185. My nine year old guessed 400, but I think I’ll stick with my guess. 😉
86….rest in peace tree, blue atlas’ are my favorite, I couldn’t tell if it was an atlas or a deodar cedar, either way, what a loss.
I’m going with 147…one of my friends in your neighborhood has the Judson Black Walnut heritage tree in his backyard, and it’s 147 years old…so I’m guessing the same as that one 🙂
I am guessing 100!
my guess is 132 years old.
My guess would be about 160 years old! What a fun contest!
I was told it wasn’t a deodar, so I’m guessing blue atlas?
I love our black walnut tree in our backyard, but a lot of people hate them. I told our landscape designer it has to stay!
no comment.
I knew you would know all about it!
Let’s see – 250 years old. What an exciting event to watch, though it’s always sad to see such a large tree come down.
i would guess 162
Awesome photos! It’s so neat to see how they did it, but sad that a tree that old had to go. We had to take out an old apple tree in our backyard a few years ago, but it was encroaching on the house and sewer pipes and the such. Just a real mess. That’s what happens when you plant an apple tree so close to a house, I guess. Well, since you say “old growth” i’ll go with around 250 years old.
Hmmm. I’m going to guess 177 years old, based on absolutely nothing. I’m interested to find out the real answer!
Congrats Emily you are right! I’m going to think of something fantastic to send you 🙂