Sometimes you've just got to pay a guy to do something

So much has happened around here.  I'll start with something easy.  Something we paid a professional to take care of :)

Tree removal.  Don't try this at home kids.

We had an estimate from one local tree removal service of over $3000 to remove the ash and pine trees from our yard.  So we tried another service.  That one came in at $2400, which we were considering.

Then John came home and told me a guy from work had a tree removed really cheap by someone (who is insured) with our same last name *light bulb* this is when I remembered a recommendation from my uncle Pat about a guy who was insured and cheap.  Same guy.  So fate intervened and we called him.  Two days later and for $800 (1/4 of the original estimate and 1/3 of the second estimate) the trees were gone.  Whew.

We removed the ash tree because of this:

There. On the far left...

See how crooked it is?  It leans
toward the house.

Maybe this angle is better?
Trust.  It was pretty scary.

We were so scared that one ice or heavy snow storm would send the tree crashing through our living room ceiling.  It's such a relief to have it gone.  I felt so bad taking it out, but it had to go.  The man who came and ground the stump said it was really rotten in the middle, so I don't feel too bad about taking it out since it would probably have to be removed soon enough anyway.

Here is what was left... 

Now the pine tree...

It was also a leaner, however it was
leaning away from the house.

This did not make it any less ugly.

The pine wasn't rotten.

Just crooked, and mostly dead. 

Here is a direct quote from tree removal estimator #2:  "I don't know of anyone who would want that tree in their yard".  It was that ugly.  Poor thing, I'm sure it was magical in it's heyday.  But since it was 75% dead and 100% ugly, it went.

We also removed a dead dogwood tree that was planted close to our front door.  We did that one on our own.  It had some storm damage and never recovered fully, so away it went.  Since we took that one out ourselves (it was smallish and in a safe place for us to set up ladders)  we've been able to enjoy it in our fireplace for a week or so.  

Next update, staining the bar cabinets.