The Day We Came Close To Losing Our House-Part 1

Eight years ago we had an above ground pool removed from our backyard.  We had every intention of turning the now blank space into yard, but life and time got away from us.  Which means for the past eight years I have looked out my back windows and seen this.

We tried several times to tame the beast of weeds, my mother-in-law took a crack at it and ended up with a wicked case of poison ivy (sorry Mom!).  But every year the beast just kept getting worse and worse.  And every time I looked out my windows, it just made sad and stressed because it was ugly and meant I had this big project hanging over my shoulder.

This spring I'd had enough.  I informed Hubby that I was calling a landscaping service and paying to get it turned into lawn.  I had two companies come out, and when I was standing outside with the second guy, I started looking at the five nearly dead pine trees and asked if he also did tree removal.  Thus was born a much bigger project.

The landscapers came out last week and started cutting down the trees.  I watched from the window as the two guys attempted to cut down tree number one.  I was horrified.  Their methods were completely wrong even to this lady who has never cut down a tree.  But I assure you their methods looked nothing like in the movies or on YouTube.  I asked Hubby what I should do.  He asked me if they were bonded and insured.  Yes, I did check before hiring them.  He said to sit back and enjoy the show.  I watched their chainsaw break three times, get stuck twice, and one of the guys get nearly crushed when the tree started falling and he was in the way.

The guys did manage to take down the first tree without killing anyone or destroying my house.  But when they got to the second tree, things went a little.....crazy.  First, they tried to straight cut the tree.  No notching.  I watched them struggle for a while to get the tree down with more cutting, pushing, and even using chains to pull it over.  Not sure how safe that option was.  The boss showed up and looked over the tree.  I then watched them strap the nearly cut down tree to another tree.  I assumed so it would fall in the right direction.  Next thing I know the three guys are in my driveway getting in their trucks about to drive away.  I ran out the door in my socks to flag down the boss to see what the heck they were doing just leaving the tree like that.  Turns out they decided the project was too much for them and were calling in someone else with the right equipment.  They should be to my house in under two hours.  O-kaaaaay.

This is NOT how you cut down a tree

This is NOT how you keep a tree upright

They left around 1pm.  I left to run errands and get the kids from school.  We got home around 4pm and no tree crew.  I took pictures of the tree and their tow rope hack job.  I looked at the tree some more and realized it was leaning toward my house.  I decided it was in my best interest to take videos of the contents of the rooms on the backside of my house.  Just in case the tree fell on the house.  I then called Boss Man and asked when the tree crew was coming.  He said he would call them and call me right back.

In the ten minute interim, David went into the backyard to examine the tree and then get the lawn mower out of the shed.  He had just made it to the front yard and I went outside to talk to him when I heard a loud crack.  It took a second for the sound to register and then I went running.  Oh my gosh!  The tree just fell down!  What did it hit?!?!?!  

The tree fell down

This shows how much of the tree was not when they
decided it was safe to just leave it

Thankfully, God blessedly, it fell into the woods and hurt nothing.  But my heart was racing and Boss Man chose that moment to call me back.  Some words that were not the nicest flew out of my mouth.  "The tree just fell down!  It could have killed my kids who were just back here!  It could have taken out my house!  What were you guys thinking???  Those guys who were over here cutting down the trees are idiots and have no business being around a chainsaw until they are properly trained on how to cut down a tree.  Even I know that their methods were wrong and I only know what I've seen on TV and YouTube!"  And so on and so on.  I was mad, I was pumped up on adrenaline, and he caught me right in the moment.  

Boss Man kind of apologized, said that wasn't good, but that a tree crew would be at my house as soon as they finished up their current project.  No real apology, no remorse for leaving a big, hulking, nearly cut down tree just standing there where it could have fallen down on anyone or anything.  I hung up the phone disgusted and vowed never to use that landscape company again.