As the snow has finally hit, after an uncertain month – ones thoughts turn to the important matters. “Do I have enough hot chocolate on hand, if I get storm stayed?” “How much turkey can I eat this month?” “Are cheese grilled sandwiches their own food group? Or some sort of crazy synergy between butter, cheese and bread?”
But all joking aside, as the pace of life slows, we tend to look back and look forward. 2016 had a lot more challenges than we could have anticipated. It was also one of our busiest years ever. Maybe it just felt that way as we juggled diapers and logs.
We completed some of our largest removals ever.
We dealt with a lot of logs! We made up log dances, and log songs – but in the end, we just moved a lot of wood!
We developed new ways of dealing with juniper…which at one point, may have been the bane of my existence. I had totally underestimated the depth and involvement of this juniper bush a few years back and we were there for way too many days. The homeowner was very patient, but it was tough. It was 40 degrees, I was pregnant, tough times!
So Chris developed the truck removal! Which involves chains. Now this is normally something we would advise against – when the stump breaks free, it does not have brakes, and therefore, that clump is technically out of control. He advanced, braked, and then backed up. Repeating this action means wiggling the roots back and forth, then popping it out like a tooth. Low speed means more control.
Once again, we entered into a storm season. Every year, we think, all the trees that would be affected by storms have already been damaged/removed/pushed over. And yet every year, there seems to be a tree on a house, a tree on a car, someone who needs us on a Saturday morning. This year, we had an exciting day that took us from the North Hill, in Brandon, to Ninette, and then up to Carberry. It is really humbling to think of the size of that weather system and how many people it affected.
We did have a few rough spots. Tree work is not for everyone, and we had to say good bye to a dear friend because of irreconcilable differences. Richard caught a chainsaw in the face in August, and is still under treatment (good news – he is driving again!) They managed to remove the piece in his eye and it turned out to be a chainsaw chain tooth – there may have been something in the log that he was cutting that interacted with the saw. First aid training and excellent response time from the ambulance made all the difference.
What a difference a year makes!
We will spend the winter dreaming, planning, and getting our equipment ready for 2017. We tend to renovate in our downtime. We also plan to spend time with friends and family.
We wish your family that happiest holiday season and good health in the New Year!