AJC > Sandy Springs > Blog > Archives > 2008 > October > 13 > Entry
DEL.ICIO.USWhen the pines come tumbling down
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
I’m writing this from my home office, aka the screen porch, and I’m staring at a pine tree lying horizontally across our backyard that used to be standing tall in the neighbor’s property.
The good news is that no one was hurt, though I’m guessing our three dogs got a triple dose of adrenaline when it smacked to earth. And we’d hosted a party in the yard less than 24 hours before, so I’m thankful it did not come tumbling down then.
The only casualties are two metal chairs, an umbrella, a birdbath and an outdoor light, but we are hopeful the later can be nursed back to health.
I’m not a big fan of developers that clear-cut lots but if I ever hit the lottery you will see every pine on our property being hauled away. Of late just about every problem tree on the street has been a pine. And I have spent many unhappy hours scooping pine needles out of the gutters, so there is no love lost between me on the conifer population.
I’m certain that pine trees have their place in the circle of life but a few million in my pocket means there will be a glut of new firewood.
And I’m not the only one with tree problems. In our neighborhood we have a large dead pine at the intersection of Scott Valley and Burdett that needs to be dropped under supervision, but we’ve been told by the city they can’t afford it. Indeed, we have been told that there are several trees around our little slice of heaven that need to come down but the money is not there.
Anyone who has ever had a tree taken down knows that it’s not cheap. But a dead tree often has diseases or insects that can fatally affect nearby living trees. So if you’re the city what’s the answer? Go into debt removing dead trees — or ignore them and know that the problem is going to get bigger. We need more than a shrug of the shoulders.
The same day the tree toppled into our yard a friend down on the Gulf Coast of Alabama got six inches of rain in one afternoon. After we swapped our stories she suggested perhaps a greater power in the universe was just making its presence known - reminding us that we are not truly in charge.
I wonder if the universe knows how we should handle our tree problem?
The estimates to get the tree out of our yard are around $600. For less than half that amount I could get a fancy-schmancy, heavy-duty chainsaw and do the job myself, though it has been suggested that me with a super-powered chainsaw is one step down on the common-sense safety scale from me having a loaded gun.
Maybe I should just go buy some lottery tickets.
Permalink | Comments (2) | Post your comment | Categories: Jim Osterman
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By Tom Osterman (yep)
October 13, 2008 2:15 PM | Link to this
Well, Bro (and the good people of Sandy Springs, while we’re on the subject), when you have a problem, you can take care of it: a. yourself, which by your admission isn’t viable; or b. get someone else to do it.
Since the default choice is (b), this means that you can: a. hire a professional, which seems to be too expensive; or b. get the City to do it, at no cost to you (not counting the taxes you and others have paid). The City says “they can’t afford it.” Before you get too steamed, see option (a). If the City takes cares of the problem, it won’t be by arming its personnel with chainsaws on a weekend but by hiring the above-mentioned professional.
O.K., we look to governments to do the things we can’t do ourselves, but the question then is, at what point is a problem the government’s, at whatever level? Or, to put it another way, what do we want government to do that we would just rather not do ourselves? Still. it might not hurt to see if you can get the League of Women Voters to put the Dead Pine Tree Question in their soon-to-be published voting guide.
By Monk
October 16, 2008 2:18 PM | Link to this
$600 is relatively cheap. And you said it was your neighbor’s tree.