I've had an ongoing conflict with the power company's hired tree slayers. They are notorious for scalping, and trashing trees. Beautiful yards laid to waste by overzealous guys with chainsaws.
A few years ago a crew showed up in my yard and said they had to cut my dogwood. I told them that would not happen.
The guy with a chainsaw rattling in his hand began to give me the lowdown saying the power company owned the right-of-way and that they could do as they pleased. I told him to hold that thought.
I stepped inside and called an old acquaintance who was in upper management with the power company. I told him the tree slayer was being arrogant, and that I didn't appreciate it.
He told me he'd handle it.
By the time I walked back to the yard, the radio in the head slayers truck crackled to life. As the guy shut the chainsaw off and started back to the cab of the truck, his supervisor told him to vacate the premises.
When the guy walked back toward the dogwood to collect the rest of his equipment, the veins in his temple were pulsing like spasming earthworms. I'll be back he snarled, like Arnold Schwarzenegger in Terminator. "I'm looking forward to it," I said to rub a little salt in the wound.
He did come back, but a manager from the power company who hired the crew, came with him to personally supervise the trimming.
They did trim a few of the upper limbs off of our trees, but they were left unmolested for the most part.
My friend at the power company has since retired, so I don't have an ace in the hole for when the slayers show up tomorrow.
On the up side, the guy that came to talk to me earlier in the week seemed to listen, and he didn't think they would have to do any major damage to my trees. I guess we'll see tomorrow.
A few years ago a crew showed up in my yard and said they had to cut my dogwood. I told them that would not happen.
The guy with a chainsaw rattling in his hand began to give me the lowdown saying the power company owned the right-of-way and that they could do as they pleased. I told him to hold that thought.
I stepped inside and called an old acquaintance who was in upper management with the power company. I told him the tree slayer was being arrogant, and that I didn't appreciate it.
He told me he'd handle it.
By the time I walked back to the yard, the radio in the head slayers truck crackled to life. As the guy shut the chainsaw off and started back to the cab of the truck, his supervisor told him to vacate the premises.
When the guy walked back toward the dogwood to collect the rest of his equipment, the veins in his temple were pulsing like spasming earthworms. I'll be back he snarled, like Arnold Schwarzenegger in Terminator. "I'm looking forward to it," I said to rub a little salt in the wound.
He did come back, but a manager from the power company who hired the crew, came with him to personally supervise the trimming.
They did trim a few of the upper limbs off of our trees, but they were left unmolested for the most part.
My friend at the power company has since retired, so I don't have an ace in the hole for when the slayers show up tomorrow.
On the up side, the guy that came to talk to me earlier in the week seemed to listen, and he didn't think they would have to do any major damage to my trees. I guess we'll see tomorrow.
GOOD LUCK!
ReplyDeleteWow. Total opposite of my neighborhood where I've asked repeatedly for the power company to trim several dead limbs off a tree, limbs which hang right over some major wires for the whole street -- and they will not. They say it's my job to trim the trees, but I've not yet found a gardener who'll try it, since the limbs are in such a scary spot.
ReplyDeleteHence, it's been a good decade or more since that particular tree has been trimmed. One of these days, the limbs will break off in a heavy snowfall, and the power will be out for days, I think.
Good for you...Ugh..I have see the tree slayers do some amazing things. Best to you for tomorrow.
ReplyDeleteThat happened to us last week. Our gorgeous wall of shade along the west side, that shaded our patio area beautifully is now more sparse and hacked up. I wish I had read this post 2 weeks ago and that we had a buddy at the office.
ReplyDeleteInstead of sending tree surgeons here, they send axe murders. :(
ReplyDeleteWe are very fortunate here that the fellow in charge of tree trimming seems to be a bit of an artist. He wanders around the tree sizing up the best place to trim to allow garbage trucks to pass underneath safely and power lines to pass through. I have no complaints.
ReplyDeleteGee, really! The power company in our neighborhood RELUCTANTLY turns up when there's trouble with power lines.
ReplyDeleteWe have those same tree butcherers.
ReplyDeleteLast month they gave us an option of side-trimming two Maple trees, that were three foot inside their right of way. One of the trees had rot, due to their trimming, some six years earlier. We asked if they could top the trees, but no, long story short, I am now minus two twenty five year old Maple trees, and the neighbor's ten year old Bradford Pear.
Swines.
~Jo
They do that around here too...I was sweating bullets when they sent the letter about trimming trees on our street. Our whole yard is surrounded by 3 rows of pine trees..I was afraid that I would come home to chopped liver pine trees. But they only slightly trimmed one...whew! I hate how they just butcher the trees...seems a bit over done. I do get it that it's necessary to keep the lines free..but seriously...that much?
ReplyDeleteHere it's the opposite I have trees which are hanging on top of my roof and rubbing against my house and we are not allowed to touch them
ReplyDeleteThey wait till the tree falls on top of the house and let the insurance pay for it.