Tree Update

Mike, What happened with the tree(s)? I swore to the heavens that if you were saved, I would buy that new lens I'd been holding off on. Hope all is well there. Rick

A brief update on the wind and the trees...the "wind storm" turned out to be what might more accurately termed "a windy night." Nothing here got pulled out of the wet ground by the wind. I lost a branch off one of the towering spruces in the front yard, not a big deal, and, halfway up the hill, a big tree snapped in half 30 or 40 feet above the ground. There's maybe a thirty-foot section lying on the ground near its base, including half of its foliage. Many big branches broke into bits with the force of its fall.

Unfortunately, I can't exactly cooperate with Rick's attempt to rationalize his lens purchase. (Good try, though, Rick.) Apparently the tree broke where the trunk splits into two main branches, and only one came down—the other one, a substantial log, is nearly detached but still hanging in the canopy. It's tough to get a picture of it but I think you can get the idea from this:

That branch you can see is probably 10–12 inches in diameter at its thickest point. Obviously this is jeopardizing anyone or anything that walks beneath it, so I assume I am going to have to figure out what to do about it. Fortunately it's in the middle of a steep hillside where almost no humans or large animals ever walk, but still, it's a hazard. George Fisher is coming this Winter to take down my late and lamented ash tree, done in this past twelvemonth by the emerald borer beetles and the birds that feed on their larvae, so I shall ask him his opinion.

The tree must have rotted at the crotch between the two main branches, is my guess.

A friend I play pool with had a tree come down and crush a corner of one of his two garages and poke holes in its roof. He's waiting for a visit from the insurance adjuster. The big log that fell on my hillside—the one that reached the ground—is fine where it is, so there it shall abide, sheltering small critters and creepy and crawly things.

The giant leaning tree was unfazed by the wind.

Such is life in the woods* in the Finger Lakes!

Mike

*My favorite book, Thoreau's Walden, is subtitled "...Or, Life in the Woods."

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(To see all the comments, click on the "Comments" link below.)
Featured Comments from:

Frank Gorga: "You got off easy! I live in the woods of southwestern New Hampshire, at the end of a dirt road (i.e., only one way in or out). Yesterday morning, a tree came down across the road about a half mile from the house taking down the power lines. We were without power for eighteen hours and 'stuck' at the house as well. (When the problem only affects five houses, you are way down the list in terms of priority.) Actually we walked about a mile and a half to a neighbor's for dinner and then back home, so we weren't really stuck, just our vehicles. Ahh...life in the NH woods: it's all good, even without power, except that I couldn't read TOP yesterday!"

Mark Sampson: "That hanging branch in your picture is known as a 'widowmaker' to loggers and other woods people, for obvious reasons."

Comments

[Ed Kirkpatrick]

Just sayin' that if you need firewood that Ash tree's wood is excellent. Lights easily, burns hot and is pretty with no popping. At least the huge Ash that fell on our farm a few years ago was like that.

[MikeR]

Glad that you are okay, and that you've been spared the cost of tree removal.

Our trees lost a lot of leaves, and some dead branches. Friends living about 30 miles SE of us had power out, because of 100 mph straight line winds and possibly a twister. Their chimney was toppled. Many had trees fall onto their house.

[Fred Haynes]

Hi Mike,
Over time, we had three large trees removed from our yard. Trying to be prudent and practical, even though we liked the way they looked. The other night, with that wind, with gusts, I thought to twenty miles per hour, I went to bed feeling secure. We’ve seen worse.
During the night I woke to a high gust of wind, and a big bang.
In the morning we discovered our closed umbrella had been blown from it's secure’ position in the picnic table, flipped over to crash down, and brake the glass top table! This is the second time. No more glass top tables!
Fred

[Fred]

I was glad to hear that the wind was not too bad for you.
It was pretty interesting here in Saratoga Springs. A section of metal roof got pealed off a garage a couple of houses down from us. And as I was walking our dog Bella this morning we went past a section of the road that was blocked off because a utility pole was down with a line lying in the road. I'm pretty sure the power was off but we stayed far away (a good 50 ft.) as we went by.
Anyway, I hope that the rest of your trees keep their feet in the ground.

[Jeff]

Maybe you saw this recent tree accident....two sisters saved by a refrigerator

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sji-iPwFPKI