International Women’s Day

I think I have been surprising people since the beginning (Right, Mom?!) It is a tough thing, to always be a surprise. Being the oldest in my family, and the first grandkid probably means that they were throwing stuff against the wall and seeing what stuck. I am often the tallest person, or the onlyContinue reading “International Women’s Day”

Topping is evil

We recently had a storm event that resulted in a lot of damaged trees throughout Brandon and the Westman area. With few exceptions, the reason that these trees failed was because they had been previously topped. I am not talking pineapple on pizza (which is delicious) or sprinkles on ice cream (literally the worst) Read on to find out what topping is, why people have done it in the past, and what you can do differently to take care of your trees.

This is not a joke

I (Reta) am not really good at April Fool’s Jokes. The way that I am funny is generally funny voices, or some sort of performative type thing – I never got the hang of pranking. Maybe it is because my upbringing stressed putting myself in someone else’s shoes – it has never made sense to fill those shoes with shaving cream (see what I did there?)

May you live in interesting times

I always thought it was a proverb or wish, but apparently the Chinese saying “may you live in interesting times” is actually a curse. We are definitely living through dynamic times. Facing Covid-19 in the years 2020 means that we have health care, sanitation, ready access to supplies (for the most part. What is withContinue reading “May you live in interesting times”

What I found in a tree

Being an arborist involves being prepared for many surprising things. The weather is a big one. I stopped paying any real attention to forecasts about ten mins into working outside (weirdly, because I remember the forecast being much more accurate when I was 20 and truck driving) I have frozen my buns off or sweatedContinue reading “What I found in a tree”

Pruning inside!?!?

I recently was contacted by a previous customer, where we had done work at their place of business. They needed us at their home. I could not have guessed that I was in for such a treat! They have a giant two-story ficus tree. Words nearly escaped me. Things we learned – ficus tress dripContinue reading “Pruning inside!?!?”

It is the season for snuggling

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,Continue reading “It is the season for snuggling”