The Box Elder Tree Dan Told me Would NOT Get Big

Before Shot:

As good old brother Bert Laney says, "I feel a story coming on." In the very corner of our property there is a Box Elder tree. It was small when we moved in (Sep 1991). I asked my brother in law Dan, who was living with us, and prides himself on his horticultural knowledge, if I should be concerned about it. He said, "Oh, that thing won't get very big."

So, I left it and it has grown very big and lovely. It provides lots of shade. Actually, too much shade. The peach trees have started complaining that they need more sun. We have trimmed it before. But, it was due for some major trimmage.

I had a tree service out to look at it and they wanted $2200 to do what I had in mind. (In retrospect I wonder if they really wanted to do the job, but they came highly recommended.) Instead, I spent about $100 on some equipment, including some boot shanks (would have been impossible without them) and some carabiners to go with Jensen's harness. A trunk or pole strap also would have helped. I used rope instead and barely got by.

We recently watched The Dawn Wall (highly recommend it) and that may have helped put me in the spirit. We survived the process. The tree is much better. There will be lots more sunshine for the peaches. Only minor damage to our rickety fence. I did come close to an injury when I cut the biggest piece and it "grazed" my leg on the way down and ended up on my foot. If the branch had been much bigger and heavier it might have been a major problem.

Now I have to cut everything up into firewood and mulch the smaller stuff.