Good-bye Old Friend

Yesterday, I called to see if they knew yet what day they were aiming for to cut the tree down, and they asked if it would be OK to go ahead and come out in the afternoon.  They said they needed to do some things, and then would be able to start around 1:00 p.m.  I got off of work at 1:20, and when I got home they had gotten started.  This is the first photo I took, as I was approaching from the north and east.  I ended up taking over 200 photos and videos.  (I don't post videos here, because I ran into something last time I tried to that I didn't like.  I'm thinking you had to give permission for the images to be used for advertisements or other purposes.)

I attached a leash to Heidi on the driveway, and she did a great job looking around.  I sat down at the curb across the street to the east for awhile. 

I'm thinking this photo may be out of order.  I didn't think there were that many larger pieces yet.

The crew was awesome to work with.  They let me pick which sections I wanted pieces from.  The longer, thinner branches, I'm hoping to have made into spoons.  The other pieces are for those who want firewood, but as it turns out, people are changing their minds because the tree had carpenter ants.

I was wrong when I said there would be no helicopters.  They are still small, but they are formed.  This photo was taken from the back of the house.

I walked around to the front at some point, and took some photos from a neighbor friend's yard.  She was watching off and on from her porch.  I would not be able to do the job of the guy who did the cutting from above!  (I bought the bicycle last summer at a garage sale.  The chain was broken, so I didn't feel bad about putting it in the garden.  Larry and I attached a wire basket, and I will plant something in it.  Can you see it?)

He was so sweet and pitched the branches so they wouldn't land in the flower beds.

The neighbor friend to the west of us was out watching, too.  I watched from her driveway for awhile.

We both walked over to the home across the street to the south, and another neighbor joined us for awhile.  We all said what a beautiful day it was for the guys to work.

I think some of the photos I took turned out pretty good!  The arborist here, was cutting slices from the area where the squirrels were, and doing some things to get them to leave.  (He had thought there was one, but there were two.)  The extension office had told me the squirrels would be gone by now, but at least their eyes are open.

He could not get them to come out, so he tied up the area they were in, and gently got it down.

The stump on the right is the home of the squirrels.  I'm not sure if they are still in there, but they were last night.  Larry and I wanted to move it to a safer area, but it was too heavy for us to move.  I'm keeping the larger round stump and the slices.  Some of the wood here was the firewood they saved. 

Did I mention I couldn't do this job?
 

Here's an example of the guys being careful of the flowers.  This guy was lifting up on the branch so it wouldn't drag over them as he got it out using the sidewalk.

You would think this guy was working at ground level.  He looked so calm!

I think it was at this point that my stomach flip flopped, and I looked down.  As I was looking back up, the tree swayed a bit.  Oh, my!

I felt compelled to keep watching and taking photos and videos.  When Larry got home from work, he came out for a little bit, but wasn't out much.  I am not sure if it was because it bothered him to watch, or he just wasn't interested.  I'll have to ask him.

Did I mention I thought some of the photos turned out pretty good?  I attribute it to a good zoom, and subject.  I guess I framed most of them OK, because I don't think I cropped any, except for maybe one.

One of Larry's brothers came over to see what was left of the tree, and watched the last part of it coming down.

This was hard to watch.  I got a short video of it, which I almost missed, because Larry had asked me a question, and I'd stopped filming to answer it.

There are not many photos of Larry and I together.  This was a sad occasion, but we are keeping our spirits up.  I did have a little trouble going to sleep last night, because I was feeling sad and had been so wired up with all the goings on.

So, there, it's down, and the guys were meticulous in their clean up.

The stump is supposed to be ground in a few days.  I guess they are doing some work on their stump grinder.

The house looks naked without the tree. 

I had trouble visualizing what shape of a flower bed to go for until I walked around the area after work this afternoon.  I know what size and boundaries I want now, and am very excited about it, but there will be discussions back and forth with Larry.

Again, thanks for all of your words of encouragement and support over the impending loss of the tree.