Septuagenarians with Saws

My in-laws came from the Quad Cities yesterday, and George brought his chain saw. Lisa had asked if he'd help clear the yard some time. At 72 George is still pretty fit and healthy. He arrived and started to work clearing the scrub along the driveway. Then all hell broke loose.


Helen's mother passed away in 1970, we think all major yard maintenance stopped then, everywhere is completely overgrown, and out of control. I have already cut and hauled quite a lot of brush, but as a musician I am partial to my digits, so I tend to work with a limb saw or a lopper.

George took out hackberries and other scrub along the driveway for a while, then pointed to the plum tree on the front hill. It was planted in the 1940's and was growing sideways out of the hillside, and completely obscured the right side of the house from the front. I said go for it, and we took that out. We then moved to the maple that was forked too low on the left side of the front, and trimmed to keep just the main trunk. He then took out two major limbs off the walnut that were hangining over the driveway and porch roof respectively. All in all, noticeable improvements in a little over an hour and a half. I knew I could load the cut brush up on a trailer on Monday and take it to be chipped at the city landfill.


I left to show our current home to a couple interested in buying, and imagine my surprise when I return after an hour to find that the amount we cut in front was doubled by what he chopped out in back. The entire yard in back was a huge pile of cut trees and limbs. I looked at Lisa and she shrugged her shoulders, We knew it should happen but thought it could have waited, but oh well. We now can really see al l the neighbors sheds, garages, and other outbuildings, that were concealed, but know that the lilacs should come back in a couple of years. Since the workers will be inside for a while, this now gives Lisa a lot more yard to work with while she can't do much indoors!