Nice Fellow!

I got a reply! I got a visit! 

While I was out doing chores, I got a call from one of the other 'Tree & Brush Svcs' folks. He is the son of one of the neighbors down the way and was recommended to me by the owner of the lawn mower/chainsaw shop in town.

When he stepped out of the truck, I walked up to him and asked if he was Dominic. He smiled when I stuck out my hand and he shook it and said, he was. 

[Hmmm, don't tell anyone. But I thought he was also very handsome!]

First off. He was very polite and asked a lot of questions about how I'd like this work done. I also asked him if he knew of anyone that could brush hog my pastures. He handed me his card with the list of services he and his crew provide. 

Bingo! I hit the jackpot, if the prices were reasonable!

I pointed out the trees that were problems. A photo below taken with the cell phone wide angle which distorts things a bit. These are the trees near the house that need to go before they fall down on the house.

This is a closeup of the trunk of the trees on the west side of the house. I will hate to lose the shade, but would hate to have to repair the house if it came over on it. The woodpeckers and the Pileated Woodpecker know this tree is dying as they dig for the insects living inside of it.

These are Honey Locust trees and in the Spring they produce the most wonderful smelling flowers in the world.
I love to just sit out and listen to the bees above working on the flowers and breathing in the incredible scents.

But they are dying. The trees are were planted well over 70 years ago, so they have lived long past their prime.

I do dearly love these trees, but they have served their purpose.

I will lose their afternoon shade, but then again, the payoff will also be gaining a sunny spot to expand my flower garden if I wish to!

Then I took Dominic to the trouble spot.

The Widow Maker Oak Tree:

The shed and the tree 👇

At the base

He took a long time to look at this spot. 

Then he asked me a surprising question. 

I can get it to fall into the woods. Would you be upset if it hits another tree and damages it? Do you care how it falls? Do you want it cut up?

I get it. He has dealt with some of those folks who have moved into our area who are suburbanites turned wanna be tree hugging homesteaders. [No offense to anyone please!]

My woods are thick with trees that have fallen and tree tops and branches. There is nothing tidy about the woods. The woods are simply the natural forest. Trees fall in inaccessible places and as they rot down the provide nutrients for the forest. No big deal.

I answered him. "Better it fall into the woods and be a mess there than crush that little shed. My mules can walk around it and so can I."

The trees in the yard will be chopped up and deposited into a brush pile in the pasture. I will give some neighbors a choice to come and get firewood. If they don't, I'll burn the brush piles this winter. It is an activity that I actually enjoy.

I showed Dominic another little project I'd like to get done this fall. I also asked him to give me a price on mowing the weedy place we call a pasture. I said that I'd like to get it mowed -- brush hogged twice a year if possible.

Dominic also asked if I had a particular fondness for the stump that is in the yard. He said that one of the dead pines may fall on it and damage it. Right now I have a planter on the stump in the yard. I laughed and said I had no fondness for the stump, it was just a place that was convenient to set that plant that needed more sunlight.

"We can move the plant to a safe place," was his reply. 

I said I'd deal with it.

So I'll be getting an estimate for just the tree work via email next and an approximate date in August for the work to begin.

He'll notify me a week before he comes and I can take down the old fencing and get everything out of the way. This works out with my plan of replacing the hot wire in this particular area.

I'm so glad that I also have alternate pastures for the girls so they won't be in the way. Now? Fingers crossed that it works out.

----

I just got the estimate and it was very reasonable and much better than ones I've had in the past! Well now, that makes me a happy camper as I can cross off one more BIG Job off my list of to dos.

Luck, Flowers, Trees

 Did you know that spotting a Hummingbird Moth is supposed to bring you good luck and prosperity?

Did you also know that they like Bee Balm, Verbena, and Phlox as their favorite flowers and food?

I didn't. However, by sheer luck I have all three types of flowers around my house. 

The Bee Balm below is next to my outhouse.

The Phlox is on the west side of the house, but next year I will be moving another group of them to the east side also.

I have verbena in pots on the porch in a couple of colors. I had no idea they were attractive to Hummingbird Moths until a year or so ago when I planted a bunch of them and saw my first Hummingbird moth! 

4 O'clocks are also a Hummingbird favorite along with Zinnias. The seeds I gathered last year for the Zinnias haven't done well this year. 

5 years ago I got two little patches of Creeping Thyme from one of the neighbors. She had a garden from the previous owner that she was just going to cover with plastic and river rock. I 'rescued' some plants and now I have large swaths of creeping thyme. Right now they are in bloom.

There is almost no maintenance to these delightful plants. They grow low. They spread, they smell wonderful and the flowers attract so many tiny bees and larger bees!

Okay. Enough about that. Remember that Dunnum fellow I talked to? He said he'd be out over the weekend. No show, no contact. 

I contacted him again and gave him some more time. After 7 days of waiting for an estimate, I have contacted two other companies. 

Now I'll wait and see who may come out and do the work.

I understand being busy, but if you have a potential customer wouldn't you at least message that customer to set up a definite date and time ... AND deal with it or message that customer with a reason for the no show? I assume that this person doesn't want my money. Cha-ching.

I'm determined to get this project done this summer. Last year was the driveway. This year, the trees that are dead and dying that will impact my sheds and house need to go.

However!!!!

Here is a guy that I can always depend on to show up for work daily. 

Little Richard:

And...I leave you with one last flower photo...

My wagon wheel of Morning Glories with Bee Balm and Milkweeds...

Wish me luck! 

The Hummingbird Clearwing Moth is supposed to bring me some!!!!