I FINISHED Pruning for the year - So HAPPY

My neighbor told me I could borrow his cool pruning tool I mention in this post, where he came and helped me prune my birch tree in about 20 minutes. 

I wanted to prune my back tall tree and didn't have the best luck with the heavy Gorilla brand ladder as it is so heavy to move and carrying the heavy reciprocating saw on the ladder on the extension is a bit stressful. 

I went and borrowed it and grabbed the extra battery but I guess one of the batteries isn't as new. I used the first battery and was really surprised at how long the battery lasted. I was able to do a few branches left on the birch that needed trimming as there were so many branches down when he did it we couldn't move the ladder to get those few last branches that needed to come down. 

I also have a huge pine tree in the neighbors yard that I have to prune back each year as it encroaches on the sidewalk and more than once I have walked into a branch talking to my children, so I pruned back a little of it, but my neighbors that rent the house weren't home and are a bit particular about that tree, so I left it alone until I heard back through text if they wanted me to prune it up higher so the taller people walking for trick or treating next week don't walk into a face of prickly pine needles. 

I went in the back and took down lots of branches and was so happy at how easy that tool made it! I was able to take down some dead branches, some uneven branches, and then put in the new battery after hearing back from the neighbors that they were "OK" with me taking a bit more off the large pine. 

The second battery didn't last long so I was only able to get some of the sidewalk area done but it was enough that people won't be getting stuck in the eye walking on the sidewalk. The pine doesn't look great but before my neighbor passed away, he pruned that tree faithfully every year and it had a beautiful shape. Not so much anymore. It has started to grow towards the sun and has weird out growing branches at the top. I returned my neighbors tool with two dead batteries but I washed up the tool before returning it as it was full of sawdust. 

I had piles all over the back yard and front yard and it took one of my neighbors large can and more than one of my cans to put just the pine trimmings in and I hardly did any trimming on that tree! I filled another with trimmings from the front birch tree and then Princess Four and I went to work on the back yard mess. 

In the midst of this I had an issue with my dishwasher and the repair man can after work and so we didn't get into the back yard until after 9 p.m. 

I was worried that it would rain on the clippings and made it hard to clean up as the weather was turning really cold as we worked. I couldn't cut anything due to the time, but we were able to just stack all the bigger branches for me to cut in the morning, and we took down all the branches and bundled them up and filled the cans. 

I couldn't believe how much I cut off after having so much taken off last year, but that tree grows quickly as the wood pile can attest! Most of my wood pile is from that tree being pruned over the years! 

I love the shade I get from that tree and want to keep it as long as possible, but don't want to have it hanging over the house as it has split so many times. So, I was able to use that tool to prune the branches going straight up, and form the others into a nice looking share for the tree. I needed to take some growth off over the plum tree so it would get some sun. 

We were out there working until 1 a.m. again! but we didn't want to have it snow with all those branches and twigs down as it is hard to get them up in the frozen mess and the leaves get soggy and it is awful to deal with, so we just pushed through and were able to get it done.

The next day, I was able to cut down the last of the thicker branches and finish up! I am so happy with how it looks and that I was able to pruned everything in the yard in one year. Sometimes, it takes me fall and spring to get the back and front trees done. It feels so good to have it finished for the winter. 

We finished just in time as the weather turned cold and we had snow flurries throughout the day! I turned my furnace on for the first time this year! 

Have a blessed day!