A Tree Grows in Orlando

...and grows, and grows, and grows.

It must have been about two years after buying our present home, that, one Saturday afternoon the doorbell rang. It was a young man, well, maybe thirty or so, who introduced himself, and proceeded to tell me that he grew up where we were now calling home.  During our conversation he produced a photograph of said house without a tree anywhere to be found. Oh my, have the trees grown since that time. There are huge, and I mean huge pine trees, make that five, as well as a ginormous Laurel Oak tree in the front. Additionally,  there is a Live Oak which grew from an acorn, and, of course, the new oak tree. I mention the different varieties because to most people in the know, the Laurel Oak is considered to be somewhat of a liability. I can't tell you the number of tree people who question the safety of such a tree, as does Bruce. So, for a while now we've been thinking how to make it smaller. See how big it is?

Or, more accurately it WAS that big. Here's the opposite view from down the street.

As you can see, it plainly dwarfs our little home! So, while Bruce was at work!*, I heard some activity outside, and I went to check on what was happening. Across the street at Ellie's house, a tree was coming down.

I liked the size of the crew, as well as all of their equipment, not to mention their slogan which you'll see in a later photo. Speaking with the owner, he was a little kinder regarding the tree, however, he did say it was probably in our best interest to reduce the size by 25%, as well as remove the copious amounts of mistletoe. Calling Bruce, we decided to write the big check. GULP!

Included in the price was a bit of trimming dead limbs off one of the big pines. You would be surprised at how large those limbs are when they hit the ground.

Good grief he was way up there! Speaking with the workers I learned the bucket goes up 50 feet in the air. No wonder this kind of thing is expensive. Now, I'm not a great negotiator or anything, but I did manage to get them to throw in trimming the super tall Chinese Fan Palm.

He ended up driving that bucket truck on the yard up to my front bedroom window in order to reach it all.

The USA/Germany match was on while all this activity was outside my windows, but every now and again, I'd run out there to take photos, or talk to the fellows. One of them was concerned I wasn't happy BECAUSE I was taking photos, however, I assured him that I was very pleased, just an obsessive documenter!

Kevin's Tree Service--We Go Out on a Limb for You! Honestly, these were the best workers I've had in all of our years of needing tree guys. Following the clean up, I handed over the check, and then they went across the street to get paid for that job. I was still in the yard when Ellie's Mom handed over a check. Now, she did not just have one tree cut down, but all EIGHT of her trees trimmed. I joked with her Mom, asking her if she wanted to write one for my work. She told me it was Ellie's birthday gift (she's about 30), and I had to laugh at that. You know you are an adult when you are happy to receive a gift of tree trimming!

Bill gave the go-ahead on the shutters, so we made a trip to Home Depot to buy the lumbar. Only Bruce would go through every single piece to choose the best.

How may of you have seen this new fangled light bulb before?

Wonder never cease! Here's another wonder for you. For the longest time I've been meaning to share this but kept forgetting until I came across this image in my library this morning.

A wonderful young man who teaches elementary school art classes has purchased from me in the past and most recently he came to get a gift for his Mom. Rummaging through my prints, he came across one of this little figure I picked up at Goodwill for $1.00, because I thought it was super cute. Here's what he had to say about this little wooden doll: It is a Kokeshi doll, made in Japan, and widely collected. AND get this!!! Fisher-Price used this as a model for their little people--big head, no arms and legs, you get it don't you? It is remarkable what you learn from folks. We were a big Fisher-Price family for sure! One of my favorites was the bus with all the little spots for the children with the string pull in the front. Of course there was the "Corn Popper", but that didn't have any children. It saddens me to see so many children today "playing" on an iPad, but then again, my parents probably were sad to see our children playing with plastic toys! Time marches on....

In good news for our sons, Matt and Tom are official today with their new home, and Herbert, God bless his soul, began the spraying of the house trim, and garage door...we are getting there.

In case you are wondering, it won't be long before Bruce builds some sort of screening for that awful pump in front of the garage! Shutters are all made, primed, and painted, ready to go up!!!

*Bruce is doing some work for Dana on the Orchid Garden ballroom at Church Street Station. Some folks won't be surprised that he left for work at 7:15 in the morning, returning home at 6:30. He's there today, as well as most of this week. The side jobs are coming in faster than he can keep up! Or I guess they are no longer side jobs, a term we used back when the children were quite young. In those days, he worked as much as he was physically capable of to keep us all warm, and dry. :)