The Quest For Internet Involves A Chainsaw.

I have been experiencing extremely slow or no internet connection for the past couple weeks. When I finally got the company to come out, the guy told me it was the Spruce tree off the back of the house blocking my signal. He said it's grown to a point that I have two options, remove the tree or get them to come back sometime in the future and they will move the antenna.

Frankly in my opinion there was only one option. Bonus was I don't like the tree anyway. However this brought me to the realization that I don't have anyone but me to cut it down. Um crap.

So on a day when my ex husband was visiting the kids, I had him be my adult supervision. First job cut off the mammoth branch on the bottom.

  

Then cut it up and clear the area for the tree to fall. I stacked the rounds near the fire pit for next year.

Now it's time to get ready for the main event. We first had the thought of climbing the tree to attach a safety line but I won out with the idea of a ladder. That tree is sticky!

We then attached the other end of the line to another tree tightening it with a trucker's hitch.

The trunk is over 2 feet in diameter near the base, way too much for my chainsaw to handle. So I realized I'd have to cut it higher up. Frankly by this point the chainsaw was feeling incredibly heavy and I could barely hold it up to get the cuts started. At least once I got the cut started the weight of the saw was mostly off me and on the tree. Reaching this point I fully admit I was scared. I was way out of my element, tired and wondering if I could do this. I kept repeating to myself that if I could be bowman on a sport boat during race week when I was 5 months pregnant, I could cut down this tree. 

I made a large wedge on the side facing away from the house. and then cut down at an angle from the back. Finally it started to go. I took out the saw quickly and moved back fast, listening to the cracking wood.

Thank god. It's down. At that point I was done. I sat down over on the grass and did my best to stop shaking. I told myself "It's over. It's done and no one and nothing got hurt. Good job."

A ton of work is now needed to be done in cutting it up and clearing away the branches but as I had to prep for taking the chickens to the butcher early the next morning, it will be a job for another day.

Time to enjoy a bonfire with the boys and have some s'more covered strawberries.