Mary Louise Eklund

Tag: prune

  • An Apple Tree In Winter

    An Apple Tree In Winter

    We have an apple tree in our backyard. It is very old and gnarly.  Yet it still has the loveliest blooms in the Spring.  It bears small hard apples  that are wormy.  So bad the squirrels throw them at us in disgust come Fall.  Mike has always wanted the treat to bear eatable apples.  So in spurts and starts he’d fuss with it, trimming, spraying where he could reach and such. Well, this January after a long talk with an orchard owner he set out to trim up this way over grown tree.  We had a warm day in the 50s on a weekend.  So there we were doing ropes to haul down limbs without damaging the neighbor’s garage or our fence.  Mike was being all manly wielding a chain saw while on a ladder or perched in the tree.  Either we killed it or made it better – we’ll know by this Fall which it is but here’s the pictures.

    So this is about what it looked like when we started. WAY taller than neighbor's garage
    So this is about what it looked like when we started. WAY taller than neighbor’s garage
    So Mike would get to the limb that he determined needed taking off. He'd tie a rope to it drop it down to me. I'd get the rope & hand up the chain saw. My job was to guide the loose limb down safely.
    So Mike would get to the limb that he determined needed taking off. He’d tie a rope to it drop it down to me. I’d get the rope & hand up the chain saw. My job was to guide the loose limb down safely.
    Yes I safely guided this one down without damaging the neighbor's garage roof.
    Yes I safely guided this one down without damaging the neighbor’s garage roof.
    So here's Mike in the tree with the saw. I was planning my route to the ER every time he revved that saw's engine.
    So here’s Mike in the tree with the saw. I was planning my route to the ER every time he revved that saw’s engine.
    The yard debris drop off doesn't open until March so we piled the trimmed wood in our garden. A neighbor took some apple wood for his smoker.
    The yard debris drop off doesn’t open until March so we piled the trimmed wood in our garden. A neighbor took some apple wood for his smoker.
    Don't know if we helped or hurt - stay tuned in the Spring to see!
    Don’t know if we helped or hurt – stay tuned in the Spring to see!