The Aftermath

We're visiting our daughter and her family in the DC area, which was barely brushed by the fringe of hurricane Sandy. We have devoted many an hour to removing the single casualty, a large oak. I can only imagine what folks further north are contending with.

Here's hoping you can all find the time and the means for a great Christmas in spite of the challenges and the work.

I was on Long Island as a kid back in the 50's when a hurricane hit. I recall my parents driving around a lot of downed trees to access our home back then.
Sad to see such a large oak go down as seen here, but no one getting hurt during the incident is a real plus. Looks like one heck of a lot of firewood from this majestic old tree.

Interesting enough, that grand tree was only 89 years old! There were basically only surface roots, with all the usual mass below ground completely rotted away. Now everyone in the neighborhood is looking suspiciously at their own oaks.

Creative (and industrious) as ever, our son-in-law saw that oak firewood is selling for only $150 a cord, so he went another route. We just cleaned up after he hired a guy to bring in a portable sawmill and turn out over 1000 board feet of gorgeous oak lumber. The price for such fine lumber has all the neighbors looking at their oak trees through new eyes, too!

Now back to that stubborn stump....

That was good thinking on your son-in-laws part. Better use for some fine Oak.

This is what my entire region looks like. I must pass 20 of these just going to the supermarket. Roots sometimes 10-15 feet tall now sticking up where a beautiful old tree fell. There are so many trees down here in NJ that many of us just cleared a path though our driveways and are waiting for spring to come to do the major cleanup. We'll have a week of work on our property for 2 guys and a chipper come April.

Always sad to see a fallen tree.

Egads!!!!