Pine-ing for a Pickup.

By I.J. Hudson

You may recall PEPCO announced it would be more aggressive in its infrastructure replacement/repair and tree trimming efforts to reduce power outages.  I received a letter citing some improvements in the wires/insulators/electrical stuff in my neighborhood.  Glad to hear it.  Thanks.

I am also part of the tree trimming campaign.  They asked if they could take down two of my trees that were “involved” with the lines, and I signed on the dotted line.  They would take down and remove the trees - for free. It would all start in about a month.

Looking very skinny

Sure enough, about six weeks later, the first contractor came through and trimmed the branches off the main “trunk.” (4/27) That left the trees looking like slightly deformed spears.   

A few days later(4/30), a second crew came through armed with serious chain saw:  both trees came down ----  each section lowered gently to the ground. 

Free Wood!   Not happening.

I must confess I had mixed emotions about losing these trees.  One of them had served as a “support” for one end of an amateur radio wire antenna for a bunch of years.  It’s hard to find a good 65-foot tall support.   

Now there is a lot of empty space at 65 feet, and I’m still figuring out what to do about the antenna. 

However, two weeks later, there is still a lot of tree on the ground.  tree sections have been occupying a lot of lawn space, and no one, it seems, wants free pine.  It doesn’t burn so well in the fireplace, etc.  

No doubt the grass below has been complaining to no avail, and likely has given up under pressure.  My Superman cape remains at the dry cleaners so I haven’t tried to lift or roll these sections to check the health of the grass underneath.

While the contractors lowered each section they cut to the ground, I suspect there are indentations in the lawn to mark the day.  My son found one last weekend as we played Frisbee on the lawn.  His foot found it.  Luckily, he didn’t twist his ankle, and I filled the hole with topsoil.

The deal was – complete removal and clean up of the trees.                            

I’m grateful the trees are down (I guess), and await the “complete removal and clean up” part.  

I guess there’s a logjam of work to be done, and a lot of us in the same boat.

If it leads to fewer power outages, I can wait a while longer for the logs 

to be picked up, but I'm a little concerned about 

                "What Lies Beneath."