Page 6 - LIfesOuttakes1

I Came, I Sawed, I Conquered l Trying to be a dutiful son, I help my mother when I can. So one day, when she suggested in passing that she really wanted a tree removed that was blocking her view, I made a mental note to take care of it for her. She talked about how she would like it dug clear out, so she would not have the lawn broken up. I determined I would just go out there someday and do it to surprise her. I have to admit that I was amazed that she wanted it removed, because it did provide nice shade for the family reunions. Yet, I also had to admit that it did block the view from the window. One day, I finally made it out there. I knew it wouldn’t take me all that long. Why, it wasn’t more than 12 inches in diameter. I didn’t even pack a lunch. I chose a day that I knew she would be gone visiting her brother and wouldn’t be around at all. I started out by cutting the tree down. If a tree is leaning to the north, don’t assume that when it’s cut down that it will fall to the north. Trees have a tendency to fall in exactly the opposite direction than what you may think. I dropped it right across Mom’s new picnic table. What the heck, we needed some kindling for our next cookout, and I’m perfectly fine with sitting on the ground to eat. Next, I started digging around the roots. As I found more root, I dug wider and wider. Soon I had a hole roughly the size of a quarry - a quarry the size of Rhode Island - and I had turned the new lawn Mom had planted into a plowed hill. I dug under and all around the roots of the tree until I thought the tree had to be loose. I found an old rusty chain and chained one end to the 1