Timmmmmberrrrr!

Saturday,  July 31,  was not a particularly good day for me.  I felt so overwhelmed with all the things I should do that I was simply paralyzed hardly able to do anything (isn’t that helpful) and burst into tears repeatedly for no good reason.  That distressed Benjamin and concerned Teresa.  I personally did not accomplish much.  I was going to mow the lawn, but the battery had not charged.  While I was out there, a friend of neighbor Gene (Duch’s old house) offered to cut down the tree and cut it into firewood for $100.  It is down now and a lot of it is cut up.  Pretty much all over the front yard.  More needs to be cut up and the branches that are too small for firewood need to be cut down small enough for city pick-up.  I was gone when they left.  Benjamin paid him.  He said he will come back today.  If he doesn’t, we can probably handle it and I still got a pretty good deal.  But I do hope he takes care of those branches in the street!  Of course, now we cannot mow because there are tree parts all over the yard.  In fact, it was bit interesting get the bike out.  I had to carry it.  Joseph always carries his because he doesn’t want to get dog doo on his wheels.  

– Wednesday  we moved the pieces small enough to burn in the fireplace to the backyard along the fence and the pieces that need to be split or cut down to the supposed to be garden area along the fence next to Mrs. Fabiano’s drive way.   I think Bro. Brown has a splitter I can ask to borrow.  I need to buy or borrow a chain saw. 

There was a huge pile of branches from the tree in front of Mrs F’s house.  The tree guy and Gene across the street from Mrs. F said the city will pick it up, but that's not what the city people told me.   The city has extra street pick up 8 times a year – during leaf season or something – with size limits.  Nothing scheduled until October.  Other than that one can call for  special pick up – for a a charge.  If the pile was only 3x3x6, it would cost me $60, with the price going up sharply.   It is more like 10 feet high, more than 3 feet wide for sure,  and pretty much the length of her yard.  If you ask the city to send out someone to give a cost estimate, they will give you a deadline to get rid of it if you don’t agree to pay the fee.  The gal I talked to thought it might be 24-48 hours.  Great.  I was worried about what we could do.  I thought  I could maybe drag it all on to my drive way – that would take some time!!! - and take a year filling my yard can every week – if I had a way to cut it up.   

Wednesday evening Teresa, David and Joseph smashed down the stuff in the yard containers for our house, Mrs F and Gene and added more tree trimmings. There was still a very big pile and we figured we would be filling yard containers again immediately after pick up.  I just hoped that the city wouldn't come after me before we were able to work it down. 

Well, we don't know what happened, because I did NOT ask for a pick up nor for an estimate, but said we were going towork something else out.  However, Thursday morning a city truck and claw team came and took the street pile.  Now I await to see if I get billed for it.