Wednesday, October 31, 2012

Post Storm Adventures Continue


This storm has turned me into some crazed blogger who can't stop posting.

I was gong to title this fifty shades of orange and show you the pumpkin muffins I made this morning, using, ahem, local honey from our friends' hive instead of sugar and the pumpkin granola I baked next ( gotta do something with the other 7 ounces of pumpkin, right?) BUT we had a lttle incident in the night that deserves press.

We had a pretty painless storm. The power went out about 11:00pm, just in time for bed and came back on in the middle of the night. Lucky us.

We did though lose one of our leyland cypress trees, all 30 feet of it. It came down between our house and our neighbor Nelda's, leaving a large window into the alley right behind our house and the very unattractive hotel across the street. There had been a beautiful viburnum sweet spice in front of it, this also hit the dust.


But where the states have FEMA, I have GG and GG has a chain saw. 

I applied for assistance and she responded, quickly,



The tree is cut up into county approved lengths and is waiting curbside for Friday removal. The viburnum is standing and the questions remains what to do about the other 7 leylands.  Some have half of their root ball pulled from the ground and all are leaning to the left. They're planted on a berm so they have a shallow root system.


If we don't have any more high winds we can take a few days and maybe wait for the boys from the farm to come for dinner on the 11th and weigh in on the matter.

You've heard of a barn raising? Anybody want to come to an old fashioned tree removal party?

Any suggestions other that giving GG a well earned muscle relaxer?

xo jane

28 comments:

  1. Jeez Louise, the holidays will be here in a month.. Save some of those lovely greens. Maybe you could use the tip as your Christmas tree this year!
    I think we need a national GG day. That woman should be wearing a cape!
    Think she could fly up and remove the pear tree that is blocking our front door?
    :-)

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    1. Do you mean fly on a plane or using the cape? Yes to either:-)

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  2. I like Shelley's suggestions, all of them. The picture of that sweet bird made me imagine a crazy big many-stories folk/outsider birdhouse amongst you cypresses.

    Is the word "amongst" a clue that I read a lot of British blogs?

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    1. Indeed it is, a clue that is. And now my cypresses hold even more fascination for me. Outside art et al.

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  3. Thankfully it sounds like you got off lightly. Now bring me the AXE!

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    1. Comeon over, we'll get is sharpened just for you.

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  4. Big tree. So sorry you lost it.

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  5. Glad to hear that's all you lost. Though that is bad enough, really.

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  6. Oh, Jane, sorry about the tree. glad that was all. i'd at least wait until the ground has a chance to dry out to see how well "set" the roots are If you feel like you just have to take them out, you could replace every other one this year - or in the spring - wait three years and do the rest. as fast as they grow, you wouldn't be snaggled-tooth for too long.

    a good back rub to gg! xoxo

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  7. Don't plant fast growing trees on a berm. Glad it didn't go through anyone's roof.

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  8. Oh, my. That's too bad. I was thinking Christmas tree too before Shelley stole my idea. Maybe fresh greens for the neighborhood? Thanksgiving is only three weeks away!

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  9. I love leyland cyphers. They do make lovely Christmas tress. My my if only FEMA were as efficient as GG!

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  10. From experience, I would cut your losses (pardon the pun) and get rid of the rest of them. They will all be risky and once one has gone, the others tend to become victims to everything, losing odd boughs etc. and generally looking awful. I assume you needed the height to block the hotel, but these guys are monsters. Not too sure of your climate but here we use an evergreen magnolia and keep it trimmed as an alternative. Glad you made it through and everyone needs a GG!

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    1. Our thinking exactly. We might do a mixed hedgerow that would of course include magnolia. They do well in our neck of the woods.

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  11. Yay for GG, and for cooking your way through the storm! And thank goodness the tree fell between the houses and not through them.
    xx

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    1. My heart stopped for one little second when I saw the space in the dead of night just after the power had gone out.

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  12. Our insurance guy said that if our tree had actually fallen ON the house, the ins co. would have paid to remove it. Now we'll make feeble attempts to remove it...and after we screw it up, joe might cave on hiring someone!

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  13. Tell GG she rocks. I want to own an chainsaw! Hell, I want to be able to USE a chainsaw.

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  14. No one has stated the obvious...You own a chainsaw?!? oh wait a minute...Camille did. Seriously, I think I could surprise my husband with one for Christmas and he would be thrilled. They scare me!

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  15. She has her own chainsaw???? Do you know how lucky you are?

    On the other hand, you might be interested to research the neighbour wars that go on in the UK about Leylandii; they have to be one of the most hated trees in Britain!

    Glad you came through the storm relatively unscathed, anyway.

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  16. I know. One of my best friends is married to a Brit and if there is ever a lull in the conversation (and with Susan and I at the same table this is unlikely) all one needs to do is mention Lelandii and the game is on.

    xo jane

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  17. "GG has a chain saw?"

    I'm waiting for the song.

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    Replies
    1. Didn't Aerosmith sign it at the concert on Friday night?

      xo

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  18. Well done GG! Hope you can save the rest of the hedge x

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  19. I found you a few months back and thought I had put you in my reader, plus thought I signed as a follower, NOT, so this morning as I scrolled through, there you were again, found where I had SAVED you. It was a Nosegay that caught me, stunning flowers and arranged with creativity and zest. It was a September post . . .

    Months passed and here you are with surviving the storm yet losing some too. The loss of the cypress plus weakening the others is LOSS. Of privacy too . . . I am saddened for you . . . the Cardinal brightened the moment.

    Lovely blog . . .

    (Love the cypress boughs and fragrance . . . )

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  20. Hello Jane

    How fortunate you were that this tree did not cause any damage. When I saw the beautiful bird, I half expected you were going to say she had a nest in the tree. How skilled GG is to use a chain saw.

    Were your animals acting strange during the storm?

    Helenxx

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