Tree Removal

We have a large maple tree that has stood at the back corner of our house providing us with wonderful shade during the summer. This past Sunday, we had to finally take it down. We do not cut down trees lightly here at this house. We love them and have a nice, shaded yard. We get very upset with people who cut down trees because they have to rake leaves or acorns or whatever nuisance they think the tree is causing.

Unfortunately, this beautiful maple tree had become stressed and then diseased. It was a threat to our home and neighbor's home. It became stressed during a horrible ice storm we had several years ago. The final blow though came when we had hurricane force winds two years ago and a large part of the tree (about 1/3 of it) blew down. After that, it was a matter of time. We had a professional arborist come out and look at it but there was nothing that they could do to save it. When we took it down, the whole inside of the trunk was hollow and the tree would have fallen with the right stress. 

Because it was between two homes, the cost to have it professionally removed was beyond our means. Luckily, we have a friend who has taken trees down several times before because he works on a horse farm. He and his wife came over Sunday afternoon and between them and Chuck, Mary and I we were able to take the whole thing down. We now, have a large pile of brush and logs laying in our yard where this once majestic tree used to be. We will be planting a new tree back this spring but it will take many years before it provides us the beautiful shade that this tree once did.  

I have included a couple of pictures from taking down the tree on Sunday.