![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
15_the_circle) wrote2008-09-08 11:59 pm
aerial ballet with chain saws
as promised over the weekend, a large crew showed up this morning with lots of equipment to take on the job of clearing the trees from the cottages. the title of this entry is meant in all seriousness: their work is tightly choreographed and filled with an elegance of motion that still pictures cannot completely capture.
it's just as well they don't have me doing their estimating: I had expected the job would take them most of the day but they had the bulk of it done before noon.
(click through these thumbnails for higher resolution images)
help is on the way
this crane was large enough for the job but able to make it through to the Circle.
heavy lift capability comes to the Circle
Grove Crane comes to the Grove
setting up
plywood sheets are being laid down for the crane's wheels and outriggers.
planning the work
on the railroad we'd call this a job briefing.
strapping on spurs
the latter day arboreal equivalent of the cavalry.
getting on with it
catch a lift to work
can anybody come up with a better commute than this?
chipper
the chips are flying through a sunbeam.
up in the branches ...
... and over the rooftops
cutting the small ones off and tying the big ones on. as each one is removed the weight on the cottage roof is lessened.
limbs aloft
lifting out the larger sections. when when viewed in higher resolution this image does not convey the size of the trunk section being removed.
operator
he's constantly on alert; the effort never stops.
ringside seating
another large section lifted out
hooking up the cable
once attached the piece will be ready to cut and remove.
ready for the most delicate cut
running against conventional wisdom, larger pieces require more delicacy in handling than smaller ones. in this image they are preparing to cut through the large trunk section. the idea is to do so without further damage to the cottage.
cutting the trunk ...
upper section is supported by the crane; lower will give in to gravity in a very abrupt way.
in motion
with sawdust from the cut still floating in the air the lower piece has thudded to the ground and the upper is swinging at the end of its long cable.
popping back up
relieved of the weight of the oak, the tulip poplar snaps back upright again, revealing the damage to the roof.
cutting from the porch roof
with the large oak finished, the tulip poplar trunk is next to be sectioned and removed.
preparing for the lift
attaching the cable.
ball and hook
365 lbs of guaranteed cable tension.
high lift
swinging over to another tree.
while the ground crew keeps a close eye on activity above,
the chipper's resident spider is hoping to catch the next meal.
the birds are holding off until the ruckus dies down.
ball and hook 2
texture
shove
pushing stump further into the truck, the crane shifts a load horizontally rather than vertically.
crew
the group photo has become a tradition.
maintenance interval
sharpening the chain.
now that the trees have been cleared away, tomorrow the builder will come to begin the damage assessment.
no subject
no subject
Fantastic photos, George. I watched it live from your cam all day long. I mostly just saw men, though, wishing the camera was tilted just a tad higher so I could see what they were doing up there. Lots of activity in the Sacred Circle that day. Hope it returns soon to its peaceful state.
no subject
Flashback
Alert the media