Entertainment Zone - Wade Allen Tree Service Ahead

I've made an allusion before, I am distinctly sure, that the sight of men and machines, be they boats or bulldozers, being used skillfully, is a sight I enjoy. A lot. Woman and those same machines I simply respect the hell out of, even when it used to be myself, but men and those very same machines, well, I admit to a slightly pervy voyouristic attitude toward the viewing. One of the joys of becoming an old woman, I can cheerfully admit to this.

Okay, with that out of the way, we can move onto the main event.

Francie's yard is full of oak trees. Most of them, we've learned, are the bad kind, water oaks. True to the name, water oaks are full of water, grow very fast and then fall apart, limb by heavy limb or maybe the whole tree. It may take a few years but it is going to happen much more often than with, say, a live oak, with that whole from a little acorn the mighty oak tree grows true reputation that it has.

The heavy limb of one water oak in her neighbors yard had already wreaked havoc in its fall onto her power line and electric box the week before; it was time for a tree guy. The tree guy who found his way to her door via the already in place grapevine was Wade Allen of Wade Allen Tree Service. Good vibes all around, he and Steve, a neighbor down the street who works with him on occasion, would be here Wednesday. Because Tuesday it was raining and really cold. Bad combo for tree trimmers.

Wade arrives

Starting in the backyard to asses the trees that need work. The truck was supposed to come back here but due to a neighbor's septic tank and an orange tree I'd laboriously cleaned up last week, it would be done, as Wade said, the old fashioned way. We were quite glad about that.

A messenger line is tossed over a high branch. The rope skills and team work here was immediately evident. This was going to be fun to watch. 

Wade straps on his climbing gear.

He's ready

We quickly learned why Steve calls Wade Squirrel Boy. He walked up that tree like I would stroll across the yard.

In moments he was up and securing himself, while Steve sent up the chain saw

Let the sawing commence

I'd never seen this done before and the process was pretty incredible. One line (the 'bull' line) would be secured in front and behind the area to be cut

Once cut, down came the limb, the rope controlled from above by Wade and then managed at the bottom by Steve. Quickly but with the quickness of experience, not the other kind that has you scared.

Wade doing some lassoing

Most of the time, he had this little grin on his face while working. We had bigger grins watching.

These huge (to us, they said they were small compared to many they do) just seemed to drift to the ground.

Where Steve would get them out of the way for what was to follow

Poco a poco, down it came. The roof was now safe if the winds blow hard.

 Once that was done, it was onto the front yard. A shaded yard, with scraggily limbs. Time to bring in the truck and bucket.

Driving the bucket. Francie and I wanted a go at it, but it wasn't really the thing to ask at the time.

And very quickly, it was done. Good work, learned lots, fun to watch (did I mention that already?)

They sawed through the very large limbs and we would take care of the rest, for two reasons. One, Francie has a fireplace. Two, it would be quite expensive to have them do this work. I hauled away the top branched to the back yard. Francie got busy with her little chain saw.

And there it was, a pile of fire wood begins!

After showers we headed to the closest bar. It was cold but definitely time for a celebratory libation. Except, the only libations at this particular, albeit very friendly, bar were beer and wine. Sweet wines. We had a drink we didn't want but hey, when in a tiny all eyes on the newcomers Localville bar for the first time, walking out because they don't have your drink of choice is bad form. Instead, we headed back to our respective Turtle and Duck, made our own drinks and dinners and it was soon lights out and good night.

The bar with the excellent Bloody Mary's up the road? Soon come.

Have a tantalizingly titillating Thursday. Do something teasingly.