When a Tree Decides It Has Had Enough

Crash!

If you remember from the last issue, I had a big maple tree with a sizeable crack that needed to come down. Pretty much immediately.

I did my due diligence and called for two estimates. They were within a few dollars of each other, but one company could come the following week, while the other couldn’t come for several weeks.

I booked the earliest appointment: Tuesday.

If the tree came down naturally, half of it would take out fencing and the other half would damage a building. So I closed the gate between my two paddocks: one attached to the barn and one containing the endangered tree.

The horses were unhappy with the smaller space, but they would be safe.

The Clock Was Ticking

Every day, I looked at the tree. Was the crack getting wider?

When the wind blew hard, I worried. Would it work the two sides apart and open that crack even more?

When rain came down, I wondered if it would soften the wood enough for the tree to split right down the middle.

Nerve-wracking days. Thunderstorms every other day.

This tree was 40+ feet tall and about 2 feet in diameter. A big, old, handsome maple that had given the Boys (my horses Cisco and Dusty) beautiful shade and gorgeous fall color for years. Now it was doomed.

But the tree hung on. The Boys were unhappy, but accepting.

The crack seemed to be getting bigger, but I kept convincing myself I was hallucinating. I like to think the tree held on with all its might.

But then one night…

The Crash I Had Hoped Wouldn’t Happen

I heard the crash in the middle of the night during a thunderstorm.

I knew the Boys were safe, so there was no point in running out in the dark. I couldn’t have done anything about it anyway.

Still, I felt sad for that loyal old tree, the Boys’ main source of shade. And I regretted that I couldn’t get a tree company there sooner. Now I knew morning light would reveal some damage.

That morning when I went down to take care of the crew, I stopped to see what had happened. It was still dark, so I couldn’t see much.

Except that the larger half of the tree had fallen. Somehow, the smaller half was still upright.

And the fallen half had crashed all over my fencing.

I wasn’t about to go poking around in the dark. I was just curious about what had happened. By the time the animals were done, it would be daylight and I could take a better look.

The Aftermath

At first, it looked like a total disaster.

But then I took a closer look.

The electric tape was stretched and broken in places, but tape is easy to repair or replace.

Several fence boards were broken, but others were simply knocked out of place. Again, repairable or replaceable.

The best news? None of the fence posts were broken or knocked down. Those would have required equipment to repair or replace, and I was spared that headache.

So it could have been a lot worse. Once the tree was out, it would take only a couple of hours to patch things up enough for the Boys to safely return to that paddock.

Then maybe another couple of hours to repair or replace everything so the fence would be, at least structurally, as good as new.

Yes, it could have been a lot, lot worse. If the tree had to come down, at least I could get things back to normal with a little help and elbow grease. I had replacement boards stored away.

Help Arrives

The crew came on Tuesday, and watching them work was amazing.

They brought four machines and expert operators:

• A grapple saw truck, which grips branches or trunk sections while a giant saw cuts them into manageable pieces before moving them to the chipping area.
• Two log loaders, like mini tractors, that shoved branches, leaves, and huge sections of trunk into a monster chipper.
• One monster chipper that was astonishingly fast, and capable of swallowing much bigger pieces of wood than I expected.

They did a fantastic job. In just a couple of hours, the tree was gone.

One More Lesson

All that’s left now is a half-rotted stump.

There is still a little life in the old roots. Small suckers are trying to grow from what remains of the stump, but how long they will live without that massive canopy is a big question. The tree, of course, will never return to its old greatness.

Had I seen the signs earlier, I could have had the tree removed before it fell and made such a mess.

And, in fact, I’ve just noticed another tree looking for trouble. It’s not in nearly as bad shape as this old maple was, but it has dead lower branches and is beginning to lean.

I got a quote and am waiting for a date. This one could damage one or more buildings, my chicken yard, and my primary access to the coops if it comes down.

Hopefully, I caught this one in time…

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