Timber

On Wednesday our Lilac Bushes went from looking like this

To looking like this after six long hours and a lot of sore muscles

I think Mark's claustrophobia was getting the best of him.  And I don't think these bushes have ever been cut back.  They were probably 14 feet high with lots of little starts at the bottom.  I didn't get a picture before Mark started thining out the bottom, so the first picture already had a bunch of stuff removed from down below.  He started the project and then found out this probably wasn't the right time to trim them, but he just could not stop.  So he took a day off work to get them done.  Of course I could not let him do it alone, so I pitched in and helped.  And our sweet neighbor helped out too.  We had to ask permission to go in his yard to reach some of it and he came out and helped us load up the truck and trailer, thanks Karl!  It took THREE loads to the green waste dump to get rid of it all.  Now lets hope the grass doesn't go into shock from suddenly seeing the sun again.

We found the bird house again in all our trimming.  When we moved it we did not know this exsisted and didn't discover it until the Spring after the snow had melted away.

Sorry to the other 3 neighbors behind us who probably hoped it was the Chinese Elm on the other side of the yard that was coming down when they heard the saw.  It is probably 40 feet high and dumps trash on the yard in Spring AND Fall.  But when the first bid we got to remove it came in at $1800 we have kept looking around.  Now no one will even come bid on it and they haven't even seen it.  I'm afraid one of these days Mark is going to rent a lift and we may end up replacing everyones fence when he is through.  That could cost more than the original bid.  So if you know of someone who likes to cut down trees for cheap, let us know.