Pears

 

This pear tree has never done all that much. It makes pretty flowers and produces lots of really small fruit. I think over the years it got too tall. It was full of broken limbs. We finally decided over winter that we would pull it down and start a new tree. I mentioned this to Eli on Saturday in passing, and later that same day he took off a representative sample of small limbs. Today it was ropes and ladders galore, as he and Briggs tore into the project in a big way. Eli made sure they were safe; Briggs made sure they got a lot done. I have encouraged them to work from the top of the tree down, taking off manageable pieces. That seems to have worked well. Because of the pandemic, the town is not picking up debris like they usually do, so that part of the project will have to wait. But the boys will probably have the whole thing down tomorrow. Briggs has been getting frustrated with the chainsaw's malfunctions (chain slipping off the bar). I explained that it was a cheapo device 30 years ago, and that he shouldn't expect to much from it. It's probably done more in 24 hours than it has in the past 24 years! We'll have to figure out how to deal with the stump. But the new tree is ready and waiting.