AX MEN

Saturday morning I awoke to a show going on right outside my window. Of course, I didn’t know it. After getting myself together I went to make coffee and breakfast, so I was hanging out in the kitchen. After everything was ready I sat down and then my phone rang. It was Gail, my upstairs neighbor. I knew you were up, I heard you toilet flush and gave you a few minutes before calling. Did you see what is going on outside your window? Since she is directly overhead I checked out the south window. Is that Rocky? Rocky is our maintenance man.

I could not see very well as it was raining and my windows were running with water. Well, the windows weren’t actually running, water was running down my windows. Clear? Across the street is a clump of three tress 4-5 stories high. One was dead and a guy was near the top taking the braches off. Is that Rocky?

First, I could hardly see through my windows. Second, my eyes were still not focusing that well yet. Third, I didn’t know. It sort of looked like him, but there were branches from the other trees blocking my view. I think it is, she said. We both knew he had a side job removing trees, so it was possible. It wasn’t on The Home’s property. It was across the street on the edge of a strip mall’s property. I gave up trying to figure it out, but I had my blinds pulled all the way up so I could watch while I ate my cooling breakfast. As you probably know, it is best to eat eggs as soon as they are cooked as they cool off quickly.

When finished, I put a few more clothes on and walked outside. It was Rocky. He had already waved our way. By that time, he was up about 3 stories tying off the tree above him. He then cut below the rope and the top of the tree dropped straight down on the rope. It did not hit the ground. It was fun to watch.

I have lived next to a camp in Oregon that seemed to lose trees during every windstorm. I had often seen trees taken down. There was an older man at the camp that was an expert. He had the ability to cut a tree from the ground and drop it exactly where he wanted it. I once saw him remove the limbs of a tree and then cut it from the ground and drop it between to cabins about ten feet apart and hit neither one. I thought Rocky might do the same, but he took it down in sections. There were too many cars in the parking lot. He had no choice. At least I didn’t turn the TV on until he was done.

Today I was up stairs puzzling and some were talking about the removal of the tree. Maria said she watched the whole thing. Maybe! She lives on the other side of the building so would not have automatically heard or seen the action until the sawing began. Gail mentioned that it was fun watching him take the tree drown with a rope. He didn’t use a rope, Maria said. What? Everyone in that group saw it and argued with her immediately, but she never gave in. One lady said, you weren’t watching the same scene I was watching. Maria said, they never use ropes to take trees down. I watch Ax Men. Well, she must have been watching Ax Men that day. Rocky used ropes.

Without Maria and her comments most days would be pretty ordinary. I’m glad she’s here. I might have very little to write other wise. Oh yeah. There is the big Chas and Olivia issue, but that’s not really fun.