Brisbane, QLD


Monday, April 9, 2012

GENEROUS GEORGE

We are so lucky to have wonderful friends. Ann and George came over to our house today to lop a tall tree that looked like it was dying.
 George climbed up a ladder and managed to cut off the lower branches and then finally the top of the tree. It was a Callistemon Tree. (Bottlebrush)

 George not only brings his chain saw but also his trailer and drives the rubbish to the "dump" for us.

 Even TOH (The Other Half), who doesn't have any interest in gardening came out of his den to help. He's the best OH. He loves cooking, I love gardening so the two halves make a happy whole.


 Explaining the finer details of gardening, like different trees have different leaves. (only joking). TOH wasn't convinced the tree was dying because he found some big bright healthy leaves on one of the branches, but they were actually from a nearby tree that had been caught as the branches came down.
However, it turned out that he was right, George said the tree wasn't totally dead yet and it might reshoot. That would be good, but it is a very old tree for a native.

I added some more garden waste and then the trailer was full. The boys went off to the dump and I went to chat to Ann, who had been taking these photos from the deck. Ann had also brought Easter Buns for morning tea. What fabulous friends we have. Later we took them out for lunch, to say thank you. They just saved us hundreds of dollars that it would have cost if I had to call a professional tree lopper.

32 comments:

  1. You are right tree lopping is hugely expensive. We used to have a neighbour who would do it for us but he has moved on. We have an old bottle brush the could do with a trim, has not flowered for years but the leaves still hang on. Fortunately it is small enough for us to handle ourselves one of these days.

    ReplyDelete
  2. You do have wonderful neighbors. We checked prices to have a pine tree removed that is close to our house and it is very expensive. I hope you had a lovely Easter and I wish you a happy week ahead.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Well again - OMG!
    Now on close observation a trait that I have these days, quite often not acknowledged much to my disgust and disappointment. I see "TOH" was heaving the heavier of the chopped up tree into the trailer. Well done, Wilbo43.
    Who says "TOH" is not as fit as a fiddle??????
    It is completely immaterial as to whether the tree was completely dead or in the process of its unfortunate demise. The tree has gone and so, dearest Diane, you can now troop off to the nearest garden shop and select a "fast growing" replacement. For God's sake get something sensible that doesn't make a mess with falling leaves. I am sure you will from your viewers be given wise counsel.
    I do believe I may make a final judgement on the suggestions.
    I think Annj was very wise to remain on the deck and issue the necessary orders and advice. Well done Annj. Between the two of us, with one of those Chateauneuf du Pape's 1981 vintage maybe? , kindly opened by one, Wilbo43, the instructions and the lopping would have been done in a twinkle of the eye!
    Well done Mr and Mrs "TOH's" and to George, the ladder and lopping expert.
    Cheers
    Colin

    ReplyDelete
  4. friends are what is most important ! anywhere, everywhere.
    greetings from brussels,
    anni

    ReplyDelete
  5. You and TOH do seem to make a good pair - gardening and cooking together - and living a life fiolled with travel adventures. I enjoyed catching up on your blog. Have a wonderful week Carol!.

    ReplyDelete
  6. I've got a huge tree in my front yard that is kind of a pest. So I THINK the HOA is going to take it out. They tried to charge me to take it out and I wouldn't budge. I didn't put it in - I'm not paying to take it out. If lightning ever hits it, it will come down on top of my house. Idiot HOA's. :)

    ReplyDelete
  7. You DO have great friends! And what a great morning workout for all of you! A lot more interesting than weight lifting.

    ReplyDelete
  8. What a great help for you to have such nice friends.

    ReplyDelete
  9. Happy Easter, hope you are having a good one! Must be nice to have given the tree a haircut :). Nice to generous friends who can lend a hand.

    ReplyDelete
  10. tree topping is big business here, and very expensive. not hundreds but thousands. good thing you had George.

    ReplyDelete
  11. You do indeed have fabulous friends and its lovely that you value them so. xxxxxx

    ReplyDelete
  12. Wow what a busy Easter weekend. Feels good to get a big looming chore like that done though. I know, I still have many beetle killed trees to take down - a mess I've not yet been able to tackle.

    ReplyDelete
  13. Wow ! that must have been quiet hard work !

    ReplyDelete
  14. Having good friends is a true blessing. Looks like everyone got a good job done there Diane.

    ReplyDelete
  15. Thanks for the visit and the comment, great to 'meet' you. You are right having trees cut back, or down, is an expensive business. We had a massive cedar tree die on us last year which was dangerous as the branches were dropping - not cheap!! We have neighbours who offered, but our tree was so big we were too scared someone may get hurt and we would have been responsible. Take care Diane

    ReplyDelete
  16. That looks like hard work. The title however made me think of a funny Tarzan movie.

    Greetings,
    Filip

    ReplyDelete
  17. That is a very nice trailer. I've never seen a hitch bar like that, and I like the wire cage, saves having to tie stuff down. My trailer is nowhere near as nice as Georges one. My trailer is falling apart. I'm going to stop talking about trailers now. But that is a nice trailer. :-)

    ReplyDelete
  18. You do have wonderful friends! Good for you and good for them. Wish they would come help me with my tree problem, but the commute might be a tad long....

    ReplyDelete
  19. I don't think you could ask for better friends -- that was a big job.

    ReplyDelete
  20. TRUST George is of the right age to be limbering up a ladder.

    Our next door neighbour says nobody, male or female, should be up a ladder past the age of 50. That's right: 50+ of both genders should stay on the ground.

    Now before HuggiBear et al. weigh in saying what would this lady know, let me pass on her credentials.

    Dianna is the head of emergency medicine at the Bendigo Base Hospital. So in a city of 105,000 people I'd hazard a guess that she's treated many a punter who has toppled off an aforesaid ladder, or similar.
    Just the other day it was reported in the local daily (for which I worked, BTW, for 25 years) that a man in his 70s had fallen to his death while up a heritage listed brick wall --- which collapsed while he was up there.
    And, yes, he'd used a ladder to scale the wobbly structure.

    So D. and BillyB.
    Good to see you remained grounded during the tree clipping exercise !!

    ReplyDelete
  21. People named GEORGE just must be FABULOUS people... Your friends were so nice to help with that huge job... Congrats on a job well-done.
    Hugs,
    Betsy

    ReplyDelete
  22. Ah mon ami Richard!
    First great to know that you and your good lady wife have survived your trek into the middle sanctum of Australia. No snake attacks, no feral camel kicks or spits (??), and no wild boar attacks. Well done. Must have been the great training from "GGS, Timbertop"??
    Now you will be "over the moon" to know that I totally endorse what Dianna, the head of emergency medicine at the Bendigo Base Hospital has reportedly stated. In days of my youthful exuberance, when collecting (stealing birds eggs), I was an excellent tree climber, even if on some occasions when grabbing for a so-called looking branch, I had a "frizzle neck" lizard in my hand and thus crashed with eggs in mouth to the ground. God only knows how many birds eggs, I swallowed unintentionally. You must when "stealing" birds eggs in the "mulga" firmly place the eggs in your mouth before descending. These exercises in the 1950's were considered Nature Studies for educational purposes!!! Still can't fathom out these days, WHY???
    Yes, Richard, climbing is best left to the young, with of course advice and instructions given by we, seniors. Firmly with feet on terra firma!
    Really my dear Betsy! George, the "fabulous name" and climbing! A bit of the
    over-stretch, don't you think - ha ha!
    Cheers and apologies belatedly to those birds whose eggs I stole.
    Colin (HB)

    ReplyDelete
  23. Friends like that are worth their weight in gold. Hurrah for George and Anne, and hurrah for my friend who helped me with my decorating over Easter. It's done - all clean and bright and smart now.

    ReplyDelete
  24. Greetings from a Canadian baby boomer. What a great post...and photos! Thanks a lot for sharing.

    ReplyDelete
  25. Great to have someone to help trim the shrubs and trees.
    These days because of my husbands disabilities we have a garden that doesn't require heaps of pruning of larger shrubs or trees, only what my husband can manage. 'Cause I hate gardening :)

    ReplyDelete
  26. hi diane, good friends (like george and ann) is one of life's great treasures.
    you're so lucky to have friends like that. (and they are also lucky to have you!!)
    that was a big job.

    have a great rest of the day!

    big hugs!

    ReplyDelete
  27. Good friends with talent (and a trailer)...what could be more perfect ;>)!

    ReplyDelete
  28. do you need a council permit to chop down a native tree?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Not just to lop it but if you want to remove it you do.

      Delete
  29. That's good friends!
    A good day's work then food and relaxation was the way to go.

    ReplyDelete