Welcome to JOYFUL REFLECTIONS. Also welcome to MARCH!!!! My header picture this month is a photo I took of the pretty Crocus blooms in our yard... The Crocuses and Daffodils are the first signs of spring here in Tennessee. I am definitely ready for SPRING...

Tuesday, September 15, 2009

Somebody HAS to Do It


Yesterday morning, while George and I were sitting at our computers watching the early news on TV, we heard LOTS of noise coming from our neighbor's house next door. Being the curiousity seekers that we are, we checked it out. There was a tree service (with about 6 men) trimming trees in my neighbor's back yard. So---what else does a blogger do but go to the side door of our deck and take some pictures!!!!! The guy WAY up in that tree actually waved at me once. I was glad that he is NOT my son up there doing that kind of work. Yipes!!!!! BUT---they have their jobs down to an art--and I enjoyed watching them.

Our area has many big shade trees (thank goodness) --and sometimes after these trees have grown so much, they do hang over our houses in some cases. We will need to have some of ours trimmed sometime also. Our neighbor's house is newer than ours ---and doesn't have nearly as many trees around it, so I was surprised to see them trimming their trees. But I do notice that many of the newer homes being built up here don't have nearly as many trees in their yards... We personally love our huge trees... AND our birds love them also. Here are some pictures I took yesterday morning from our deck---looking toward our neighbor's home next door. The guy in the tree was about 25-30 feet up there.












These guys really knew what they were doing... The one guy UP in that tree was just like a monkey crawling around up there. I'll bet, when he was a little boy, he probably loved climbing trees. They used ropes to attach to the big limbs as they fell, so that they wouldn't fall hard on the ground --or on the flowerbed below. The guys on the ground immediately cut up the limbs and took them out to their machine where they turned them into sawdust. As I said, I was impressed with this job---and they did a great job of cleaning up after themselves. IF and when we get our trees trimmed ---we'll call that company!

You know---there are all kinds of jobs out there for people. Some of them aren't this dangerous, but it really bothers me when someone goes for months and months without a JOB. It may not be the job he/she wants, but by darn---it IS a job and somebody has to do it.




Here are a couple of photos I took yesterday of the huge trees around our house... You can also see the pretty dogwood tree to the left, in our front yard.



Here's the other side of our house---showing the trees. The smaller one in front is a Redbud. By the way, it may look as if our trees are over the top of our home, but they are not---CLOSE, but not there yet.

Thanks SO much for all of your wonderful comments after my "Opinion" Blog yesterday. I learn so much from you ---and I have found that many of you 'younger ones' really have a better feel as to how to handle situations like mine than I did/do.... You seem to be able to ignore it for what it is... Wish I were more like you!!!!! I'm learning though---even at age 67!!!! Thanks again.

I'll close with a picture of our pretty front yard ---after George mowed yesterday. The roses love this cooler weather --and are showing off right now.

Thanks again for visiting my blog. I love you all!

Hugs,

52 comments:

Salitype said...

those trees are lovely, i always wanted to be around trees. they give you feel of being close to nature. alas! the only plant i can afford are those in pots...

lovely ground you have! makes me want to go and have picnic in there...

penny said...

That tree trimming job isn't for sissy's!
George certainly has done a wonderful job on the new front wall.
You have such a beautiful yard with so many lovely flowers and trees.
Thanks for sharing the beauty that surrounds you:)

Cedar ... said...

send those guys up north to me,... I got a couple of old trees that really should go. Actually I'm hoping the wind takes them down! haha... can't afford a crew like that.

SmilingSally said...

I agree that something is better than nothing. It's funny that with places like McDonalds begging for workers, someone will complain they are jobless.

Arkansas Patti said...

What a great job for a guy. Climbing trees and getting paid for it.
I used to love trees around the house till I was hit with 3 hurricanes in a row then with last years ice storm. Nature can turn on you and make a tree a weapon.

betty-NZ said...

You wouldn't catch me up there! And your roses are gorgeous!

Deb Murphree/Alabama Politics said...

Hey Betsy, we had some Asplundh guys (not sure how you spell it) come out last week and cut trees along the power line. However, they didn't clean up after themselves, like they promised. I hope I can get them back out to finish their work. Great post you have today. Love you.

Beth said...

I'm always amazed watching guys like that move with such confidence amongst the branches so high above the ground. Despite the fact I love my mountains and hike there on very steep trails, I'm actually afraid of heights, so I could never do a job like that. It looks like they were doing it very well, though, and it's always fun to watch.

Your front yard is gorgeous, Betsy.

Peggy said...

I could never be a tree trimmer. I am afraid of heights. LOL Glad there are people who enjoy that work. Your trees are starting to get a little fall look. Can't wait to see all those beautiful fall colors

Busy Bee Suz said...

Those tree trimmers are really living on the wild side. We have a friend who has a tree trimming business and a few years ago one of his workers had an accident while working and lost his life. It was really tragic.
I know down here, around this time of year most people trim their trees away from their house prior to hurricanes coming and doing home/tree damage.
Your yard is amazing!

Mary said...

Not work I would want to do! I love big shady trees, but at the same time worry about them falling on the house...or more likely the neighbor's house. I would only cut them down or trim them if they started looking like they were dying. I dread that day. Your trees look great.

Cherry said...

your front yard is sooooooooo beautiful! i love the trees around your house too. ;)

Bill S. said...

You have a beautiful home and yard. Good luck with the trees.

Judy said...

Hi Betsy, You would have loved watching them take down 8 of my 80 foot tall trees earlier in the summer. I still have 22 and need a few more to come down that are over my house but have to wait till I save up the money! I agree with you that there are jobs out there if someone is willing to do them. A friend of mine lost his job recently at Kroger and is now training to be manager of a Steak and Shake. You just have to be willing to do something different.
On your post below, I wish we could all agree to disagree on things and not be angry or mad or say hateful things to each other.

Sunny said...

Hi Betsy,
Those guys make it look so easy, they are like squirrels running up and down the trees.
Your yard looks so inviting with your lovely roses.
Sunny :)

Diane AZ said...

Fascinating post! I enjoy seeing pictures of your area. The trees around your house are so tall and beautiful. George did a great job on the front yard.

storyteller said...

Marvelous photo series! It's true, we bloggers grab our cameras often don't we? The folks in my neighborhood are used to be, but sometimes STRANGERS give me odd looks and occasionally ask what I'm doing. You live in such a lovely place with BEAUTIFUL trees ;--)
Hugs and blessings,

Janice K said...

We had a really tall tree that had died taken down in our front yard about a year ago. We contacted a number of companies but most of them were not willing to climb it to take it down. The man who finally said he could do it was really amazing to watch....and the fact that his helper had everything sawed up and cleaned up practically by the time he was ready to cut off the stump was something else too. I watched the whole time with my camera in hand and my heart in my throat..

Dorothy said...

Interesting series! I love the way the Dogwood trees look in the Fall, with their gorgeous burgundy leaves!! Beautiful yard you have there!

This Is My Blog - fishing guy said...

Betsy: A neat look around the house. I would have certainly taken photos on the day of tree cutting.

Snap said...

Tree trimming is picnic time here! All the neighbors go outside to watch. We could sell sandwiches and lemonade! ;D ;D ;D

George has done a wonderful job on the yard.

Connie said...

Those guys arn't paid enough. I don't know what they're making, but I'm sure it's not enough.

Roses and Lilacs said...

Hi Betsy, I have a dead poplar that needs to be cut down. To complicate things, it's a little too close to the power line so I'm not sure if I can do it myself.
Marnie

Betty said...

I really like watching the tree guys.I live in a senior mobil home park with lots of ceder trees a while back they had a tree service cut some of them.I also was out there with my camera.I love all of the trees around your yard.George's new wall is great.
~~ Hugs ~~

Cicero Sings said...

I don't know what it is but people seem to be afraid of trees. All the people moving up into our area clear cut their lots and put lawn in (which I might add, doesn't grow good up here). What good is lawn except to cover the septic field? Trees at least clean the air and oxygenate it, provide shade and housing for the birds that provide no end of amusement. Yes, one does have to monitor them for disease and could be problematic in a forest fire ... but ...

Darla said...

Those tree guys dang sure better know what they are doing...they make me a little nervous though. Your yard is so nice and tidy!!

Tina said...

Lovely picture of your frontyard..so much hard work to get it that way..You guys did good!!
We had trees dropped and cleaned out just last year..and I couldn't get over that the tallest.. had to be 6'4", biggest guy..had to weight in over 220, in the bunch was the one who went up the tallest tree (40') to do the cleaning..he was a very brave artist and artist he was..he knew exactly where to step, what to cut and when to duck..very interesting to watch.

Rose said...

I could not do that job! Especially as I get older, I notice changes in how I handle heights.

Kelly said...

...tree trimmers are a rare breed. It's so dangerous to go up there and saw away. They are definitely brave!! I just read your post below. How on earth could someone find fault with you. You are soooo nice. Being nasty to someone else serves no purpose...such a shame.

Thomas said...

It's amazing the work these men do...I'm guessing it's not something for the faint of heart. I'm sure the view up there must be spectacular.

Rosa said...

I'll have to agree with you. It's horrifying and amazing watching these guys. I once had a big tree cut down that was only a couple of feet from my tiny little ranch house back in VA. I sat as far away from that area of the house as I could and covered my ears until it was gone! Oh my.

Tes said...

Oh wow...carefully manicured lawn! I envy you for being surrounded by those trees! Talk about clean air, you got it girl! Love your roses -they really are showing off -yey!

EG CameraGirl said...

I think the look of a house is greatly enhanced by large trees but when they overhang a house they do need to be trimmed. Your yard is lovely!

blushing rose said...

I've helped DH do tree trimming & it scared to death! I don't know how they do that & stay safe.

Love the rose garden, my friend.

Pop over & greet my friend, Gail on her 2d day of blogging ~ tell her I sent you.
shabbycottageshoppe.blogspot.com

TTFN ~Marydon

NCmountainwoman said...

Last year we had a very large tree that appeared to be dying and had it fallen would have hit the house. First we had to fill out a form requesting a review to cut down the tree. Then the architecture committee came out to look at the tree and agreed it looked dead and placed a red ribbon around it. The arborist came next and pronounced the tree really truly dead. After all that, we could finally engage the tree service to come and take out the tree for us. Ah, life in a gated community.

A Brit in Tennessee said...

Ooh, tree trimming is not for the faint-hearted...
We had two Braford Pear trees trimmed, it took two men, all day long, with harness gear, cutting and trimming those trees. Nearly all the climbing was done without any kind of buckets or ladders.
You've got the most beautiful lawn there Betsy, what a lovely sight to peer out of the window, and take in all that beauty.

DeniseinVA said...

Always sad to see a tree go, not only because of their beauty and great service they give to this planet, but because of the wildlife we enjoy from them. Your photos are very enjoyable Betsy. Those tree-cutters are brave aren't they? There is no way I would care to climb that high.

cherie said...

my relatives in VA employ tree trimmers, too. you're right, ms. betsy, quite a perilous job! grinning here that the 'tree man' waved at ya, haha! my boys are into tree-climbing a lot, but i keep telling them not to make it too high.

re: the PITB bloggers, MINE keep following me around like the plague, what do you know! now what do you say to that???

Jen said...

That isn't a job for someone faint of heart.
OX's back at you!

Cheryl said...

My oldest son is employed by a landscape/tree work company. He took his State license test last week to get his arborist license. He seems to enjoy "scary" jobs, at least they are to me. He has been on a buoy tender while in the USCG, then worked for a barge/towing company that went waaaayyy out into the ocean and now hopes to get his license to cut trees! Mom just shakes her head! Your lawn is so pretty and the roses are gorgeous.

Shelley said...

Tree trimming definitely looks like dangerous work! We need to have our tree trimmed! I actually have a funny story to post - we have a huge tree (I think close to 200 feet tall at our home downstate) and one of the branches fell in the neighbor's driveway and he threw it back over on our property. That really bothered me! Should I dump all the leaves from his trees this year back on his property?? Hmm! LOL!
Hugs,
Shelley

Neal said...

You have a beautiful yard!!

I watched a show last week (an episode of World's Toughest Fixes) where they were replacing an antenna on the top of one of the big transmitting towers (2000 feet tall). It's amazing to watch them work up at that height and not really pay any attention to how far they are from the ground.

Lola said...

Those trees are gorgeous. I like to have trees around but have a fear that the limbs will go into the roof in a wind storm. Learned long ago about limbs coming down.
Your front yard is so pretty & neat. You guys work hard to keep it that way. Love those roses.

RA said...

I find it really amazing what some people do for a living, and you are so right that somebody HAS to do it. Thumbs up for all of these people. Thanks for sharing this insightful post. Have a wonderful day :)

Ruth's Photo Blog said...

That is a job I will gladly leave to others.We need to get some trees trimmed too,but I hate the idea.I feel bad about each branch which has to be cut.Where are the birds going to nest or roost?
Blessings,Ruth

Diane said...

They are fun to watch but nerve wracking.

Mary Isabella and Kiley too! said...

The roses are still beautiful...hugs...m.

Stephanie Suzanne Designs said...

These guys have this down to a fine art on where to cut to make it fall the right way....not any room for lack of experience..that's for sure.

Your yard is so pretty!

Hugs to you,
Steph

Cookie said...

I feel like such a baby! I get scared just watching my son on the monkey bars! I don't even want to think about one of mykids ever getting a job like that!

diane b said...

I bet those guys love their job. There is something about sawing down a tree that boys love. You are lucky to have so many trees near you. We had to trim ours a few months ago because they were hanging over the roof, filling the gutters with leaves and a danger to power lines. Some trees fall during storms and some are a fire hazaard. It is hard to choose between beauty and safety, Anyway they are all shooting branches again as Spring has arrived. Love your roses and neat garden. I see you have another Diane leaving comments, I'm the one with a lower case "d". I'm just a little person.

Cassie said...

Betsy, Love your well manicured front yard and roses. My Laura Bush rose is having one last hurray before fall and is loaded with blossoms. Had to have Patrick dig up the root stock of the Veteran's Honor since that was all that was left....turns out this climate is too cold for that rose.:>(

SquirrelQueen said...

Tree trimming seems to be a big business here mostly because we have wind storms with really strong gust. Last fall I was watching as one of our neighbors had their trees trimmed. Here they use the big bucket trucks so they are not actually in the trees. It is still exciting to watch.

Judy