Thinning Out the Front Yard

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Our front yard has not only become a dump for the contractors (see the above pic with remnants of the old roof– which got replaced last November– still in our yard) but it was just so overgrown that it was really starting to bother me.  I don’t mind the contractor stuff because I know that’s somewhat temporary, but I decided I wanted to finally get a clear view of the house from the driveway.

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Thank goodness for a husband who knows how to work a chainsaw!!  David got to work clearing out three bushes, three trees, and a dead limb in one of the big trees.

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There he is, ready to take care of business!!  🙂

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I don’t have any action shots of him chainsawing, but after he felled the trees and came inside to get some water, we saw a bunch of deer helping themselves to the leaves!!  We decided to let the deer trim up the cut branches for us (less to burn later on anyway) and within a few days, they got rid of all the greenery, making clean up much easier.

 

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Ta da!!!  The “after” shot is above.  Look how clean and clear the front yard is becoming!  (Habitat for Humanity is coming tomorrow to pick up the sinks in the photo, but the rest of the contractors’ trash is FINALLY gone!)

 

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AND, the view from the driveway is much, much better now.  What a superhero for a husband I have!!!

8 thoughts on “Thinning Out the Front Yard”

  1. RANDOM STRANGER

    WAAAAAAY too much slack in that chain in both picture 2 and 3. That is dangerous and can lead to a broken chain. Those chaps are good to have, but once a chain gets flying around they may not be enough. Also, the tear below the stump of the limb that got removed is another telltale sign of needing a bit of a refresher in the art of taking a tree limb down. That is serious stuff and I’d hate to tune in here to read about a trip to the emergency room.

    http://www.extension.umn.edu/food/small-farms/safety/safe-chainsaw-operation/

    1. Thank you for the feedback! You certainly are observant and know your stuff 🙂
      I definitely agree that the chain is too loose in the pics above; I cleaned inside the clutch cover after the previous use (evergreens can be so messy!) and hadn’t retightened the chain. As for the tear in the stump, that is just my fault. We took down the outer limbs of that branch because they were rotten, which revealed that the rot made its way into the main branch too. So my assumption was the branch was rotten and wouldn’t split like it did; I should have made a small cut on the underside of the limb to limit the tearing.
      I really like your chainsaw safety website! Lots of great info. I recommend this site to people who ask about chainsaw operation and safety: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dP5Uj4q3k74 Being able to see a demo of how things work can be helpful, and the different sections / topics make for an easy refresher. Safety and operation are very important because chainsaws are unforgiving tools, and I really appreciate you looking out for us.
      Thanks again for the comment! Keep them coming!!!

  2. This reminds me of your House Hunters episode when Lynne said it’s nothing a little chainsawing couldn’t take care of 🙂 Looking good!

    What is to the right of the house – a garage?

    1. Haha, thanks!!
      There’s a little brick outbuilding that is just adorable. Roof is in great condition and it’s structurally sound but the floor collapsed so you can’t go inside. Eventually we’ll fix it up to be something cute… not sure what yet!

  3. brady feussner

    Awesome clean up job… Love the last picture… A lot of potential for nice shrubbery someday…. that is cold resistant, right?
    The loose chain on the chain saw scared me to death, though. Thanks go to the commenter for his good advice. Please, no trips to the emergency room for the handy husband….

  4. Much appreciation to the comments about the chainsaw safety !!! it does sound potentially very dangerous.
    yet, look at how much better everything looks now. great job…both of you !

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