Watchin' Fur Fly: What a day

OH BOY!!! What a day yesterday!

Well we decided to take down a rather large Silver Maple tree that stood next to the barn. Over the years huge black ants have been eating away inside it. We've been worried that it'd come down during a storm.

So, a neighbor volunteered to tackle the tree with a bulldozer and a little help from a chain saw.

The plan was to notch the tree so it'd fall into the neighbors' yard, who's yard had absolutely nothing to obstruct the fall.

The neighbor told John to notch the tree in the direction of the planned fall path, while he prepared the bulldozer. The chain saw didn't want to start, which I took as an omen. The notching required a significantly larger blade than John's saw had. It heavily labored during the task at hand.

When the neighbor returned he had yet another neighbor with him plus another chain saw!

NOW! There are three attacking this tree from all sides. YIKES!!!!!!!!!!! With so much testosterone over charging the air (and not enough thought or expertise going into the project) IMHO it's not surprising somethings going to happen. :- (

As I've told everyone, Murphy (from Murphy's Law) lives with us!!!

And, as we all know, too many chef's spoil the broth.

With crazed abandonment from this trio, all cutting and bulldozing away, to each his owns agenda, they were in store for a reality check. What a shock when this once beautiful tree instantly pivoted and hurtled to the ground with nary a warning sound!!!

I've neglected to mention that we heat our house with an exterior wood heat boiler. John worked like a madman last year to prepare the 'Beast' (as we call it) for its first winter. Following all the necessary mechanics it required a shelter from the elements

As you can clearly see from the picture the tree was badly infested with huge black ants. One quarter of the trunk had been eaten away by the ants.

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'The Plan'

As for 'the plan', to drop the tree in the neighbors' yard.......it didn't work out quite as they'd planned. Remember that instant pivot the tree made???

Notice the tan colored object nestled under the tree? Well.........................That's the Beast and what's left of it's shelter!

The tree totally removed the roof as well as the insulated stainless steel exhaust pipe, which now looks very similar to a pie tin. It also appears as though the tree moved the Beast off it's platform a couple inches.

The soundness of the water holding tank which surrounds the boiler is now suspect?????

It's going to take more than a couple 2" x 4"'s, some nails and shingles to repair the structure.

All kidding aside, it was a heavenly blessing that someone wasn't hurt!!!!!!!

The tree came down to the northeast. IF, it had come down toward the southeast it would have hit my rabbitry....I DON'T EVEN WANT TO GO THERE!!!!

The only safe directions were to due east OR due west.

As you can see the neighbors' yard was ideal spot for the tree!

But Nooooooooooooooo! Murphy had other ideas!

Ya gotta hand it to the fella, he didn't fly off the handle or rant and rave or even go off the deep end....as many others would have done. He was soulfully grateful that NO ONE was injured.