Katrina return

[pantheraba]

Four of us returned to MS and LA at the end of March. We cleaned up some leftovers from our trip there in Sept. 2005 right after Katrina hit.

Here are picts from a tree we removed over a warehouse.

Graeme McMahon's thread on "Folding Tree" made me think of these pictures...this tree was folded before we got to it.

 

[pantheraba]

We considered a high line to rope out the limbs but one of the two properly positioned rigging trees had the top "drop crotched" out of it by a Katrina twister so we did otherwise.

 

[pantheraba]

The top looked to still be firmly attached. I Big Shotted a line and ascended the safe side of the tree. Once there, I did a quick rope tie to secure the top while I hauled up chain.

 

[pantheraba]

The chain and rope were to (1) secure the top and protect the faller and (2) to be sure the top stayed attached and travelled with the tree when it was felled.

I am using the wooden throwball (like a croquet ball) to send the pull line out over nearby trees to the tractor.

 

[pantheraba]

MOre of the top attachment.

 

[pantheraba]

Derwin getting ready to pull.

 

[pantheraba]

Top headed down.

 

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Top almost down.

 

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We finished in time to clean up and introduce some GA relaxation to our host.

 

[pantheraba]

Derwin turned out to be a natural at throwing knives.

That target was made for me by Perry Samrow; he is the man that we took a large tree off of his house last September. He used his sawmill to slab out the big pine and saved that piece for me. He is sawmilling the pines that he lost and will use the planks to rebuild his shop. He is 82 years young (turned 82 the day we took the snags out of his tree on this trip) and is a very independent and proficient fellow.

The women folk came out right after Derwin stuck all the knives and made us go to Jack's for broiled cajun catfish, grits, hushpuppies, fried crawdads, et al. All the good seafood places were closed last fall but we made up for that this trip.

I have some video of the falling tree...will eventually post that, too.