Long Time No See

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Yesterday, I mentioned that in addition to some of the home maintenance my Dad was helping me with (along with our neighborhood friend, Tony), we were also tackling a few long-standing items on the to-do list. Let’s start here:

See anything wrong with this picture? About half of the house is covered by overgrown trees. Time to do something about that. And time for me to try out a new tool. Dad brought over this little ditty, a brand new electric pole saw:

Which meant we had to put it together and fill ‘er up with oil. Unfortunately, chain oil and my phone don’t mix, so I only have this pic. But basically, you use the Allen wrench to unscrew the top cover. Then, you take the silver thingy (stop me if I get too technical for you) that holds the chain, and wrap the chain around it. The chain then hooks around a wheel inside the contraption, and you tighten the chain with a screwdriver. And with another hand, you place the cover back onto the front and use the Allen wrench to screw things back together. It’s actually very simple to do – but I’d recommend a second set of hands to make sure that the chain is nice and secure before putting the cover back on.

Then, we placed a ladder underneath the tree, and I climbed up about halfway. The extension of the pole is plenty long, so I didn’t have to climb all the way to the top to reach the branches. And considering that a pole saw is a little top heavy (this one was very lightweight, but still), keeping my footing was super important.

And then, I simply got to work. I should have worn glasses, for sure. A lot of wood chips flew at my face, so I couldn’t always look directly up. Note to self for next time!

Dad took the pictures while branch after branch came falling down. Tip I learned from Tony: saw about halfway through the branch, and when it begins to fall, back off on the speed of the saw. Let gravity do its thing and the weight of the branch will bend it downward. Then saw the rest of the way through the branch. That way, you don’t have the branch falling directly down from its original spot. It will, in a sense, lessen the blow of the drop. Which protects peoples’ noggins (we are working directly above our heads, after all).

I took care of everything I could reach, and then Tony climbed up to the next level of branches up to take care of a few more.

It was hot. Arms sore. Back sore. Covered in wood chips. It’s a good look.

But the house is much more visible from the street. Pay no mind to the unfinished trim; I’ll have some more info about that soon.

Phew! More to come later this week. But that’s all for now!