While I did not climb, cut, or dispose of the giant dying tree that stood next to our house, menacing our roof (and our neighbor's roof) I did feel like I put in a full day's work watching this thing come down-- it was a very stressful for both me and the dog, the thumping of the logs as they swung down and crashed into the remaining trunk, the destruction in the garden, the denting of our siding, the general mayhem in our neighbor's yard (they had to take apart the chainlink fence so they could get the excavator back there to carry the giant chunks of tree to the truck) and the decision of just how high to leave the stump-- I'm going to sand it down and hit it with a couple coats of polyurethane to preserve it-- but though it was demanding, nerve-wracking, and costly to watch Genie Tree (highly recommended! they did it for $2800 . . . which was much lower than any other estimate . . . except JCR Tree Service) the threat of this tree falling on our house (and our neighbor's house) has been driving me mad for years-- the only thing I can compare it to is how Claudius feels about Hamlet, when he sends him to be executed in England . . . all I could think was "do it Geno, for like the hectic in my blood this tree rages and thou must cure me."
3 comments:
Maybe if you spent a few more bucks on a better tree service you wouldn't have dents in your siding. Please please please make a video of you trying to sand and varnish the stump, this seems like exactly the type of thing you won't be able to do well and will turn into a fiasco where you somehow wind up permanently attached to what's left of the dead tree, or you sand your palm off.
I had a big old oak tree in my backyard at my old house and my neighbor often complained that it would drop leaves, acorns, and twigs in his driveway and onto his car. I told him that this is the nature of trees, they drop leaves and seeds and twigs. Later he began to express concern that it would fall on his house someday. I told him that I had an arborist inspect it when I bought the place and he assured me it was hale and hearty, and besides, that's why you (my neighbor) have homeowner's insurance. This went on for years until he finally offered to split the cost of taking the tree down with me. I relented because I was sick of his shit and it wasn't a ton of money. The tree guy provided a work order but no contract or even proof of insurance. My neighbor reacted like I was crazy when I asked for proof of insurance, and I replied "What if he drops the tree on your house?" and the neighbor, even more stunned, said "Why would that happen?!" and I retorted "The whole reason we're taking this fucking tree down is because you're afraid it will fall on your house, and it would be a real kick in the balls if your cut-rate tree guy drops it the wrong way and doesn't have insurance to pay for a new garage." So we got proof of insurance from the tree guy. I hope your tree guy has insurance and will pay to remove the dents he added to your house.
i hammered the dents out with my rubber mallet! the log just dented the corner of the siding (and another little dent, but i'm used to dents . . . you should see my van). we were supposed to ask for proof of insurance but we forgot-- but i did get a permit. i'm just glad it's all over with.
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