While digging up, splitting, and replanting a Dahlia clump on Tuesday...
(Dahlia clump leftovers)
...I heard rustling back in the gully.
Coyotes? Squirrels? No, humans...then I heard it, the heavenly song of a chainsaw being applied to a Eucalyptus globulus...rhuuuuu, rhuuu, rhhrrruuuuhhh!
Ding, Dong, the Euc is gone!
Which old Euc? The sickly Euc!
Ding Dong, the sickly Euc is gone!
Sing it, baby! Just take a little off the top.
How tall was that sickly Euc? Look back at the photo above, and at the first photo in this post, and note the weed palm to the right of the worker. Good.
Now note the weed palm (lower arrow) in the photo below. That's the palm tree in the previous photo. See how much taller the Euc (indicated by the upper arrow) was? That's how tall it was. Tall.
A homeowner uphill from that Euc's property requested and obtained permission to reduce the height of the unhealthy Eucalyptus globulous which loomed over our property and scared the bejezus out of me, especially since
January in the park. About half the size of the one in question:
Leaving aside the fire danger in the dry season--Eucs are giant matches. Leaving aside all the dead material that made it look dreadful, which honestly is trivial compared to the thought of being crushed by a giant falling weed. Yes, weed. Something 80 feet (24 m) tall can be a weed.
The uphill person who financed the operation thought it was spoiling the view from his patio. May the angels smile upon him forever!
Thanks Mr. Chainsaw Operator, and your privacy is protected by a wave of my Photoshop paintbrush.
Happy happy chainsaw song! Ding, dong! Rhuuuuu, rhuuu, rhhrrruuuuhhh! All hail that uphill patio! I. Am. So. Happy!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Bye bye!
So then this is a good thing? (ha, I kid) How wonderful! The sound of chainsaws make me nervous, and all day yesterday they rang though the 'hood. It was storm damage clean up I suspect.
ReplyDeleteA contractor who gave me an estimate one time remarked: "Whenever I'm in this neighborhood I hear chainsaws." (This as a chainsaw roared somewhere nearby.) He was right!
DeleteYeah! A huge headache solved and you didn't even have to pay for it.
ReplyDeleteEucalpytus are great--in their native land. But I don't want to malign all eucalyptus. Many are beautiful and well behaved.
"Many are beautiful and well behaved."
DeleteExactly! Too bad E. globulus isn't one of those.
[prays to chainsaw gods to smite hideously messy pecan tree in front yard]
ReplyDeleteNot just big eucs, as bad as they are ("tree falls on wedding party"), but pines (Yosemite fatality), deodars (awful in Santa Anas), even native oaks (usually, I've heard, from being overwatered)... I'm seriously at the point where I don't want anything bigger than a crepe myrtle within falling distance of my home or car, she said nervously. Do palms ever fall over?
Palms fall over very nicely when cut down. ;^) I have no large trees in my yard, and I'll be watching the baby oak in front very, very carefully.
DeletePecan trees get enormous--there was one across the street from my Mom & Dad's house. The nuts were delicious, though.
Congratulations! No more danger of it coming down on your plants or, heaven forbid, your house! More sun too?
ReplyDeleteThe hedge of 'Marjorie Channon' Pittosporum is utterly ruined from the Euc shading them and dropping gum, large branches, sheets of bark, etc, etc. I'm thinking I'll have to either remove the 'Marjorie's or cut them short and see if they can recover. Sigh.
DeleteSo neighbors complaining about their view can sometimes be a good thing! Just thinking about this in contrast to poor Kris and her nightmare neighbor.
ReplyDeleteWhen I found out who was cutting the Euc down and why, it was kind of a surprise. I did think of KP and her neighbor!
DeleteSafety? Fire danger? Who cares about that?
View? OMG! Vital!
Well, that's a load off your mind! Sickly trees are scary - especially when they loom above you.
ReplyDeleteAn 80 foot, several ton load...
Delete