The tree had gotten so tall that nobody I knew had a ladder tall enough to reach the coconuts to chop them out. So I went to Home Depot and bought an 18 foot extension ladder. Guess what? Still not tall enough to reach the coconuts and to be swinging a razor sharp machete around. So what to do?
The question was answered one day when 3 coconuts came crashing down around us while we were hanging some clothes on the line. The tree had to go.
I wrote the proper letter in proper Spanish begging for permission to have my tree removed from my yard. Coconut palms are a protected species on the island. You can't just go around chopping them down without permission. Several days later we got our answer when a team from the city showed up at the door, equipment in hand, to chop the thing down.
The youngest of the group had the job of actually climbing up the tree to chop out the coconuts and then the branches.
One by one.
Notice no safety belt or any equipment. Just hang on and do your job.
The older guy got the good job on the ground of catching the falling branches.
Here's the view before the chopping started.
And here's the view after. We lost some privacy and quite a bit of shade. But no more danger of being killed or seriously injured from a falling coconut.
Finally, the big boss got to use the chain saw to top it off and then cut out big sections.
So, what did we do with the space created?
11 comments:
Interesting to see that all happen.
Have no idea what you did with all the space created. Planted another coconut palm tree? LOL
Interesting to see that all happen.
Have no idea what you did with all the space created. Planted another coconut palm tree? LOL
Extra space huh?? well you could build a doggie house .... hint hint!
KW from Michigan
I should have known that Brenda and I would come up with the same line. Alternatively: Perhaps a nice cot for Steve?
looks like you didn't gain much space, a couple square feet maybe?
I'm laughing at the idea of you guys out there hanging your laundry. Are you serious?
I'm guessing you put a table with an umbrella for shade and some chairs out there so you can watch the clothes dry. Heh!
brenda: close. very close!
kw: believe it or not, I already have a dog house built and just waiting for the right occupant!
steve: how about a hammock instead?
jonna: I will have you know that we do all of our laundry and hang it out to dry. We have 3 lines upstairs on that patio. The line downstairs is one of the retractable ones that we only use for overflow when B gets carried away and washes more than we have room for! You're right though. We gained more vertical space than horizontal.
It's pretty to measure the height of a tree using high school geometry (if the tree makes a shadow which most do here)
Why not simply use a ledge with an attached machete to cut the coconuts from the tree?
Two years ago we chopped down a few 90 feet trees on my parent´s property, so this palm tree does not look really huge to me...
I do not think this was a good idea, but however, it was your decision.
No offense meant. :-)
Well, all I can say is thank goodness you didn't try to cut it down yourself! There would have gone the "other" hip!........so a basketball hoop?
Room for an inflatable palm tree? ;-)
Room for another kind of tree to provide shade???? Hopefully. :)
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