Pick up Sticks

Hello,

Finally the yard is free of snow. Yesterday was the perfect day to pick up the numerous sticks and branches that were lying around. After cleaning the gutter a congregation member left his large extension ladder. Leroy decided to use it to get some of the dead branches hanging in the trees.

Usually Leroy is very cautious when going up on a ladder, but for reasons unknown to me he trotted right up this thing to greater heights than expected. I held the bottom of the ladder to steady it, but I could not have held either the ladder or Leroy if they had been at a serious tilt. Leroy was grunting with the effort of getting it from tree to tree and upright to the height that he desired.

He was able to get down several branches that were hung up on fellow live branches. Then he cut off a branch that was hanging lightly on the phone wire. The branch was heavy enough that the wire looked in danger of breaking as he was sawing it off. Somehow that all worked. Then it was on to the next tree to take the branch off the electrical wire. He managed to pull the branch closer but could not lift it over so he had to break off parts of it until it was light enough to heft with one hand. Leroy did keep one hand grasping the ladder. When he dropped the branches he would try to get them out of my area, but always yelled look out below. Since I was holding the ladder steady, I was not sure what I should do. I put my head down, but then he told me to move away. One of the branches did land with a resounding “thunk”. It could have done some damage to me as the ragged end sank into the soft ground.

The garden cart was filled with sticks by the time we got done. The back yard looks so nice now. Maybe tomorrow I can tackle the front. It has less space and only two trees, making it a much smaller job.

Leroy said, “I was not scared on this ladder because it is so sturdy and I could wedge it firmly against the trees.” I surmise that I was just holding for the appearance of security for myself even though I knew how little success I would have stopping a fall.

Paula