It's been a bit since my last update.  This is mostly due to the fact that all the work lately has been boring stuff that you would not be able to see even if it were photographed. For instance, I ran new romex wire through the walls in the bathroom and attic storage space. I installed new outlet receptacles,  caulked around the windows, re-glazed some glass panes, and mowed the lawn three times!(rainy August made grass grow like crazy).

Anyway, this past weekend something worthy of a story took place.  A fifty foot tall maple tree which was leaning toward the house was removed. I hired this really cool guy named Mike to cut it down. Mike is an old school guy who has been cutting down trees since 1977. He climbs the trees with spikes on his feet and a leather belt around the trunk and cuts the trunk in ten foot sections while perched below the cut.

I took some photos and a video, so I'm going to share,
The tree:

This is Mike preparing to climb:

  About half way up:

At the crotch of the tree, with all the lower limbs cut off.

All limbs down. Now the trunk is next:

Here is a video of a section of trunk coming down. (its better if you wear 3-D glasses)