The man at the front was a younger man. Very serious. Only waved back very small with his fingers. Just a nod of acknowledgement.
The man at the end of the crew was an older man. White beard, jolly fellow. He waved whole-heartedly every time I drove by. The last time I drove by he wasn't the flag man at the rear, but saw my car and stepped out between the trucks to wave.
Yesterday was my turn for the tree trimming crew. I heard them coming around the corner, so I took the opportunity to hang my garland and wreath on the front stoop.
We have known the tree trimming was coming for at least 3 years now. The pines along the driveway are tall and in the wires. I worry about them every time there is a heavy wet snow or a big wind storm. One wind shear could cause our entire street electric, phone, and cable problems.
In the warm months, Walt Kowalski and I regularly sit on the front steps and talk about what we would like to do with the front hill. Small flowering shrubs, small trees, and a nice ground cover.
We dream.
Taking down the pines is a major task.
So when the tree trimming crew appeared, I gave them permission to top the trees. Yes, it was sad to see such large beautiful trees be trimmed, but I worry and I want new trees.
I waved and smiled to all three of the tree trimmers. The third trimmer was actually the white bearded, jolly fellow I waved to the day before!
I hate, Hate, HATE when tree trimmers trim only one side of a tree around the power lines. Or even worse is when they cut a large C shaped out of the tree to allow space for the wires. In my opinion, topping the trees looked like a short hair cut instead of like trimming your bangs after several margaritas.
They trimmed the branches and then dropped a Christmas tree from the top of each large pine. (It is really hard to tell how big these trees really are!) They probably took a 10 foot tree off the top of each tree.
Many of the branches fell into the driveway and on the hill. When they started falling I grabbed my work gloves and pulled a few branches over to the side to save. The team leader walked over to talk to me. He warned me to be careful of falling branches. I thanked him and asked him if he'd like a cup of coffee on this cold and damp day. He declined, but thanked me for the offer.
When the trimming stopped, I grabbed a few more branches and he helped me pull them aside. I asked him how long he had been trimming trees and how he got involved in tree trimming. 40 years and he needed a job. Another gentleman joined in the conversation. He had been trimming for 44 years! He said he went to the coal mines when he was young, but couldn't handle it. The third trimmer came to join in the conversation, too. He had only been in this field for 35 years (only) and his wife's father got him started in tree trimming. He said 'I divorced her but kept the career.'
I asked about working in the weather and the most difficult trees to trim. They agreed that every year the cold gets a little colder and the Pin Oak and Locust trees are the hardest to cut. We've got both of them at the Cat Ranch. (In case you don't know, they are two of the hardest woods out there. Pine is in the soft category.)
I joked and told them it sounds like they needed to start trimming palm trees. All three of them said "Nooooo!" They did several "tours" in Florida and Louisiana after hurricanes and said the trees down there are just as difficult to cut. AND the pests are much larger.
They wished me a Merry Christmas and were on their way to the next tree.
Side Note: They worked on Mrs. Mayor's trees yesterday. Funny, she only posted negative comments that it took an act of congress to get her trees trimmed properly.
Then again, it's Mrs. Mayor. We should call her Mrs. Miserable Mayor.
Pity for her.
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