I cut down a fairly large pine tree this weekend and it landed exactly where I wanted it to land. I was very proud of myself. I cut down a bunch of smaller trees to make way for an even bigger pine tree.
I notched it, cut it to make the hinge, and then it started to fall where I planned. Instead, a gust of wind came, the branches caught on a nearby tree, and it started to fall directly at me! I let go of the chainsaw, ran a short distance, and watched the huge tree come crashing down on the deck.
I was cutting down the tree so that sunlight could finally reach the deck and it could dry it out. That is not an issue any more once I clean up this huge freakin pine tree.
The good news is that it didn't hit the house. I also found out exactly what bad shape the deck was in before I started doing any more sanding or finishing of the thing. I tried to use a piece of the railing as a lever to move a log. I put minimum pressure against it and it snapped in my hands because it was rotted through. Also, the deck was attached to the house with nails which isn't a very safe design.
I've got a lot of clean up to do now, because this is one big tree. If it landed where planned I could have left a lot of it hidden in the woods. Now, all of it has to be cut and dragged out of the way.
Posted by bbarton at October 6, 2003 09:42 AM
Yeah, but it happened after they were all gone. I'll have to remember that in the future...no more yard work after kids go home.
Posted by: Bob on October 6, 2003 02:28 PMWell you still have four captives in the house...
Posted by: David on October 6, 2003 11:51 PMLOLOLOL Son was at work and the three princesses are not going to move pieces of pine that size unless you can talk it into happening. Can you imagine how black and sticky their hands would be after all that pine pitch got on them!??!!?
Posted by: Bob on October 7, 2003 07:18 AMmost of my childhood memories include black sticky pine pitch coverd hands. my dad's only hobby is to cut down trees and when we first moved to where my parents still live today, us kids, had to help clean up the trees he cut down nearly every weekend. we 'special' clothes just for the occassion. I even remember the weekend we had a 'deck' incident similar to Bob's. :)
Posted by: Heidi on October 7, 2003 07:35 PMIf we look far enough back we're going to find out we're related. ;)
Boy, I hated getting pine pitch on my hands as a kid. I stuck to strictly climbing oak trees just to minimize the pine pitch risk.
Posted by: David on October 8, 2003 11:28 AM
Isn't that what kids are for? You fed them breakfast, now put them to work!
Posted by: David on October 6, 2003 02:10 PM