30.04.2022 A tree felling fellow?

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 Saturday 30th 41F, light overcast breaking up to early sunshine Up at 6am. My back hurts again. 

 The image shows the offending conifers from the upstairs dormer window.

 I have yet to remove the beech cuttings from the inside of the front hedge.  Which makes it unsteady footing if I am to cut down the conifers. One of my [late] wife's conifers is a very narrow pencil with dark foliage. A so called fastigiate form. I'll have to see if I can save it. The much more bushy trees on either side might damage it as they fall. 

 Some of the trees are almost as tall as the house and have trunks nearly 6" in diameter. Which means a lot of weight with the foliage still in place. Working downward in sections might work. How to avoid the greenhouse right beside them? I'm thinking the foliage will protect the glass.

 Using a chainsaw from a ladder is seriously frowned upon. I'd also need much better access to remove the trees and all that foliage. There are only scruffy privet bushes growing just there. They never had enough light. I'll take those away. Then I could drop the trees towards the east and the open drive. Ready for cutting into manageable sections and removal by trailer.

 First I must have a walk to fix my back.
 

 8.15 47F. Just back from my usual walk to the lanes. Traffic very light. The same, cool wind from the west. A harrier and a crow were having an aerial scrap over the village. I saw my first swallow of the year that I was aware of. A background chorus of skylarks and early wild flowers. Morning coffee completed. Time for the tree felling farce to get underway.

 10.15 Back from another trip to the recycling yard. This time with the privet hedge. That took up the entire trailer to a height of 6' before I strapped it down. 

 10.30. 55F. The first three conifers are safely down. The trunks were about 125mm or 5" in diameter at the base. I cut a birds mouth on the side I wanted them to go in. Then cut through from the back. They all fell on top of each other, with a gentle push, as expected. 

Not that they look very much on the ground. I seem to have suddenly gained a front garden. Not sure how to save the "pencil" while I fell the other trees. It might be best to drop the rest of them to the west. The nearest conifer to the west might have shaded the "pencil" and caused ugly die back.

This image shows the first three conifers dumped at the recycling yard.

 12.00 58F. Safely back from the recycling yard having delivered the first three trees. My late wife would be horrified at my "gardening." She spent years out there. Trying to stop cats from coming into the front garden. No idea why. She loved cats. I had to remove several layers of her net fencing.

 15.00 Third journey since lunch. All the beech cuttings and trees have gone. I saved the dark "pencil" and one of the golden conifers. Felled the unwanted ones towards the SW. These remaining trees won't darken the house and greenhouse like the bushy ones. I can also see if the post van is outside. IT was ridiculous not being able to see the drive. Not even from the upstairs window!

 The blue-green in the foreground is the pro-quality, shade netting on the lean-to greenhouse. I have blocked out my nearest neighbour's house. Who owns the front field. Out of respect for their privacy.

I could do a mixed trailer load. Then do some shopping on the way back. My arms are reacting to the toxins in the conifers. Itchy, despite being washed thoroughly and repeatedly. I could really do with a short rest.

17.00 57F. I managed a nap after a busy day. Nothing desperately needed at the shops until tomorrow. I might ride there on my trike. Just for a change. 

 I just had a look at my gardening devastation from the greenhouse. You would not believe the difference. The greenhouse is "borrowing" the open space in front and seems enormous now. Even though it is still full of stuff. Which has hardly been touched for a couple of weeks. Fell trees while the sun shines!

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