Yard demolition...again...

After our exhaustion from Saturday's demolition extravaganza started to wear off we were able to walk through the next steps we needed to take in this landscape overhaul. We were set to have our pavers delivered this week and we were ready to move forward. And then Steve says, "I think I want the other three trees removed before the pavers go down so we make sure not to damage them." We had planned to remove the trees in January but Steve made a good point, I just didn't think there was a way to get it done without postponing the delivery of the pavers.

On Tuesday morning, Steve talked to our neighbor who knocked down the other two trees and asked if he could get three more out. The guy was skeptical about our timing and told us it would tough to get them knocked down and hauled away before the area had to be cleared on Thursday.

But sure enough that neighbor showed up that evening and at dusk knocked three more trees down and then laughed as he drove away and said, "You've got your work cut out for you tomorrow to get this lot cleared." We knew he was right!

We looked into having someone dispose of them for us and we were quoted some astronomical numbers - so we set out to do it. We borrowed a dump truck from a friend, rented a chainsaw and somehow roped Steve's brother into helping us.

Here was the view our neighbors got this morning as they headed off to work (and this is only two of the three):



We wasted no time getting after it and we worked out a decent system. Steve's brother manned the chainsaw the majority of the time - I took the smaller cut up branches and handed them off to Steve who was in the dump truck continually stomping down the branches making room for as much as possible. (Steve was very conscious the entire day to monitor what I could and could not be doing in my condition!)

Shortly after lunch we finished up with the trees and we were left to the clean-up stage. The larger pieces of wood were put into a pile and the neighbors gathered what they wanted for firewood and the roots were dumped into the truck using the bobcat. By the time the kids came home from school we were ready for their help in collecting hundreds of oranges that had scattered across our now dirt yard.

By dusk we were dirty and exhausted and we had three trees removed from our property. I think we surprised most the neighborhood (including our friend who knocked down the trees) by getting it all done by the time they made their commute home from work.

Having those trees down completely opens up our house. In fact, it feels a little naked now! It was hidden behind those trees for so long, most forgot what it looked like. But we're in the business of home improvements and this house is proving to be a never ending project! (which I not-so-secretly love!)