Tree Blessings

This week's big news at my house has been the slow progression of tree cleanup. (Yes. Sometimes it really is that pathetic.)

In this BIG FAT MESS, I've found some blessings, and I wanted to share them with you today.

First of all - I had free cleanup. My Dad and his friend(s) came over and did all the cleanup work. Dad and Mom heat their house with wood, so even though he really probably shouldn't be doing stuff like this at his age, Dad still goes out all the time and cuts trees for people. He's a pro. And he and his buddies were glad to get in there and play with their chain saws. (That's really what it boils down to - boys and their power tools.)
In addition, I was so thankful that the city was willing to come by and pick up all the mess. They said if a tree company had come in to cut the tree, they wouldn't clean it up, but since it was a civilian job, we could just stack everything up and they'd get it. That saved a lot of trips to Mom and Dad's house with brush-piled trucks.

I never said they were INTELLIGENT about the cleanup process. Yes. He's standing on two separate limbs of the tree testing its strength. I stood by with the ER on speed dial.

He forgot a ladder. So he borrowed my kitchen step stool. I don't make this stuff up, people.

It occurred to me in this process, that while the whole thing is an inconvenience of gargantuan proportion, I'm so thankful the tree fell the way it did. If it had fallen a little more one way - it would have taken out my evergreen trees (which are in a nice even line that I didn't want to start over). If it had fallen another way, it would have taken out part of my house. If it had fallen yet another way, it could have taken out part of another neighbor's house, and I'm pretty sure some older people live there. So while it's a pain that I am dealing with someone else's mess at my "expense" - I'm glad it didn't go any of those other ways.

I'm also glad the boys with power tools didn't kill themselves. This particular shot includes somewhat connected bungee cords. I said I don't make this stuff up.

This is all the damage the fence sustained. Pretty amazing. Dad said what saved it was that the sturdy branches wedged into the ground and kept the weight of the trunk up off the fence.

So in all of this - I am grateful. God took good care of me - and my property!