Quick Takes (35): Work Facinates Me

- 1 -

"I like work; it fascinates me. I can sit and look at it for hours."

- Three Men in a Boat by Jerome K. Jerome

I've heard variations of this quote, and have always liked it in a joking sort of way.  But never was it more true than on this past Tuesday when we had two very large, very dead trees removed.  Watching the team of guys work at the task at hand really was fascinating.

- 2 -

We had two trees, one Ash and one Cherry, that died a couple of years ago.  Hawks liked to perch in them while hunting their prey and we like to watch the hawks, so we put off having them cut down.  But recently too many large branches started falling off, so we knew they had to go.

The team of five guys spent the better part of an hour setting up and getting their equipment in place.  They needed to use a crane with a one hundred foot boom to get near the tops of the trees.  One of the guys was hoisted up and he attached straps around the branches.  He was then lowered some where he took a chainsaw to sever the trunk.

- 3 -

After the trunk was cut the boom operator swung the cut tree around and lowered it to the ground.  Several other guys then got to work cutting it into smaller chunks and feeding the bark and small branches into the chipper.

- 4 -

I don't think we will need firewood for a long, long time.  I am glad that I'm not the one who has to split all that!

If it wasn't for that pile of wood, you would never know that we had any work done in the yard.  The tree removal service was that good.  The pride they took in their work is obvious by the care they took in how they did it.

- 5 -

Himself counted the rings on one of the logs of the Ash tree.  It was nearly one hundred years old when it died.  I've got to wonder at all the changes that the tree "saw," how things changed in this area.

- 6 -

When the Hairy Beast wasn't supervising the work, he was assisting with debris removal.  Our "puppy" celebrates his 11th birthday today.  Happy Birthday, Jack!

- 7 -

“It is perfectly obvious that in any decent occupation (such as bricklaying or writing books) there are only two ways (in any special sense) of succeeding. One is by doing very good work, the other is by cheating.”

–  All Things Considered by GK Chesterton

Don't forget to check out more Quick Takes at This Ain't The Lyceum.

Have a great weekend!

AMDG