…….when you set off down the main path early in the morning, with a barrow load of stuff to take down the back, and……
Luckily I have my trusty, battery-operated chainsaw (recharged by the solar panels) and within half an hour I was up and running with a clear pathway…..
…..plus a pile of kindling…..
……..and some useful firewood……
Fortunately, it missed my little espaliered Granny Smith apple and a recently-planted bamboo. The tree the branch came from is a big old eucalypt which hasn’t been a happy tree for a long time. It’s been regularly dropping big branches, but I’m happier for it to end its life in stages, rather than come down in one fell swoop and leave me with a huge trunk I have to get someone else to deal with. With any luck, it will lose all its branches and leave the bare trunk still standing (although that will fall eventually, but I might be gone by then!). One broken branch is still hooked up on other branches. I’m always wary when working under it—the rule is, if you hear a crack up above….run!
Foodnstuff 
September 7, 2017 at 2:02 pm |
I am constantly amazed at the resilience of plants Bev. We had a HUGE black wattle fall down (from our neighbours side) into our garden. I thought for sure that my best brachychiton sapling that I planted out would be squished as I couldn’t see anything but huge tree but when I looked closer I saw my brachychiton standing up tall right in the middle of it! The same thing happened (actually, it was in almost the same area) with another big euc falling from our neighbours side over onto our driveway. Aside from having to cut it up almost immediately as we had to go to TAFE that morning, it fell into a lovely big camellia and a rowen tree, stripping the rowen of several branches and severely squashing it. You wouldn’t know that it had been hit now.
We have a tree like yours on the side of the house. It has a large branching fungal growth on it which is the death knell to a tree and we are going to have to pay an arborist sooner, rather than later, to cut it down for us. Not looking forward to getting the bill for that one I can tell you!
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September 7, 2017 at 6:40 pm |
Tree loppers charge like wounded bulls too. Get a few quotes and beat ’em down.
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September 8, 2017 at 4:44 am |
We were trying to get the TAFE Arb class out here as some of the trees we have on the property would give them a halfway decent challenge (and they come complete with insurance) but that hasn’t eventuated. The big problem is that not only do we have this large euc next to the house (with a big branch over the roof) but we also have a big black wattle on high ground pointing directly at the house and you know how unpredictable wattles are. My dad decided that trees around the house would be a good thing and now we are left to work out what to do with them.
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September 7, 2017 at 2:23 pm |
Oh yes, working or even just walking under tall eucalyptus, can be a perilous activity. Especially when the rains have stayed away. They drop limbs as a way to cope with the lack of moisture. I love your little pathways.
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September 7, 2017 at 6:42 pm |
Most of the branches are already dead. There’s a lot of dead stuff coming down everywhere at the moment. I think all the rain we’ve had must have something to do with it…..maybe accelerating rotting.
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September 8, 2017 at 10:11 am |
Ah, you’re lucky to have the rain! So nice to know, it’s falling somewhere useful. Although the trees destined to die from fungal attack, will become unstable very quickly. But the upside is, they’ll rot down to humus quicker. 🙂
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September 7, 2017 at 3:48 pm |
…on the positive side, you now have free firewood, the base of a new hugelkultur, a large number of mushroom logs, endless wood-carving material, or, well, the possibilities are endless 🙂
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September 7, 2017 at 6:43 pm |
And, I’m still alive. I was working right under it yesterday! Someone up there must be looking out for me.
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September 7, 2017 at 10:57 pm |
Don’t rely on hearing the crack Bev – they say if you hear the crack it will be too late to run! Take care.
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September 8, 2017 at 12:29 pm |
Now you tell me! 😦
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September 8, 2017 at 12:08 pm |
I am very glad it didn’t drop on you, and firewood is so good to have in the winter. I just loved the photos of your path, with and without the branch. Such a beautiful garden you have,I could look at those photos over and over.
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September 8, 2017 at 12:30 pm |
Thanks Jane. It has all been so soggy over the winter. Hope it will dry out a bit soon.
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September 8, 2017 at 2:35 pm |
I envy you your rain all we’ve had here are a few little bird spits and frost nearly every morning since the beginning of May. I think I will lose a couple of citrus trees.
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October 25, 2020 at 2:29 am |
darlleen
Just love those ‘oh, sh*t’ moments…… | Foodnstuff
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March 4, 2021 at 8:18 am |
leanora
Just love those ‘oh, sh*t’ moments…… | Foodnstuff
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July 4, 2021 at 2:59 am |
myrta
Just love those ‘oh, sh*t’ moments…… | Foodnstuff
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