June 1, 2016

Resolution of the falling-branch drama.

Previously posted: When will the branch fall? I invited you to speculate. That was May 28th. The branch stayed attached, and the arborist arrived today and — with permission — I took these pictures of his elaborate work:

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23 comments:

Original Mike said...

These guys are amazing. I spent all day Monday on an 8' step ladder trimming some of the cedars in our garden and that's enough height for me.

Meade said...

An 8' fall would be plenty far enough to fracture a tibia on old guy like me. But I'm preternaturally healthy so it would probably only take me a long weekend of R&R to be good as new.

traditionalguy said...

That is the most dangerous profession known to man. And I mean man. The number of women doing it is close to zero. Sexist maybe, but not misogynist because then we would be making them do it.

Original Mike said...

I do way too much tree pruning on that ladder every spring. This last winter I had a tree trimmer take about 4 feet off the top of 12 trees to make it a little safer. I figured that as it was, it was only a matter of time before I had a fall.

I have a physician friend who claims the mortality rate for falls from the ladder we use when we observe with the 30" telescope is 50%. I think he's exaggerating, but I'd prefer not to find out for sure.

madAsHell said...

Permission? Why would you need to ask permission? It's a public place, and you should expect to be photographed. No??

Meade said...

It's a contractor we also use for our trees and for whom we have specially high regard. Believe me, if it were some fly-by-night outfit, doing something unsound or shady, she would be "polite" in an entirely different way.

Michael K said...

If power lines are involved, the power company will do it.

Ann Althouse said...

Not everything is law. There is also etiquette and friendliness.

Fernandinande said...

Into every life a little branch must fall.

madAsHell said...

You are always the consummate hostess!!

T. A. Hansen said...

You hired someone to cut that? Either Althouse has a lot of money or her husband is not handy.

Rusty said...

Thank GOD, that's been resolved.
Now we can get on with our lives.

tim in vermont said...

ou hired someone to cut that? Either Althouse has a lot of money or her husband is not handy.

Husbands are expendable, cash isn't!

Ann Althouse said...

"You hired someone to cut that? Either Althouse has a lot of money or her husband is not handy."

I hope you looked at the photos closely enough to see where the man is. Compare that you the estimated height of the 2-story house in the background. With your spatial judgment, I'd stay out of trees.

MathMom said...

Is this like those pictures in Highlights Magazine for Children that you find in the doctor's office, where you try to find the differences between two pictures while you're waiting for the doctor?

I don't see anyone. An arrow pointing to the errant branch and its surgeon would not go amiss.

We have tree guys who climb very high, but also use a boom truck. My husband says when he climbs up too high that he feels his nuts suck right up into his body, so he's happy to let the pros work.

AFChiling said...

Meade, my brother in law, who is over 60 but is in very good shape, lost his lower leg and now walks with a prosthesis because he fell from a short ladder while doing some pruning. I'd recommend being very careful, or dealing with professionals.

Ann Althouse said...

"I don't see anyone. An arrow pointing to the errant branch and its surgeon would not go amiss."

Click on the horizontal picture and it should enlarge to the point where it's pretty obvious. Or look for the rope from the ground and follow it up.

Ann Althouse said...

In the horizontal picture, the man is just about dead center.

In the vertical picture, find the chimney on the house then move straight up until you get to where the branches intersect.

T. A. Hansen said...

Ah...I saw the tiny tree and the tiny branch. My initial statement stands. You hired someone to do this? I have complete faith that any ordinary person could take care of this, but most lack confidence.

T. A. Hansen said...

The easiest way to do this would have been to hop on that convenient building with a telescoping saw. You could have cut 80% of the tiny branch. Weathering would have taken care of the rest.

MathMom said...

Thanks for describing how to find the tree guy. Found him!

Maybe T. A. Hansen will come and take down your next troublesome branch. I like the tree guys to do it, because they do a clean cut and that helps the tree heal properly. If you stand on the ground with a telescoping whatever and the cut isn't clean, you have a jagged and ripped stump which can cause the tree to become diseased and weakened, according to our tree guy (and our experience). Then, a big wind comes, such as Hurricane Ike, and you get to see a nice huge section of your largest oak tree in your guest room.

I guess if you are a tree hugger, it gets the top of the tree down where you can hug it, but there's the roof and ceiling repair to think of, too.

Meade said...

Well-said, MathMom. And entertaining too!

More people need to study more carefully their Alex Shigo publications.

T. A. Hansen said...

I find it interesting how the 1% spend their money. It's a window into the lives of the Liberal elite. Thanks.