Men in the Trees

BEFORE

AFTER

“It gets to me; some days, it feels never-ending.”

 

Gary says this at least once a week, referring to all the “to-dos”, and the repairs needed on the house. This rant is always followed by a discussion with me (or with himself) about the merits of selling over owning our home.

That’s a hard decision. And, is one with which we struggle. But, no matter if we stay or if we go, home maintenance must be done. And this summer, it seems like more and more needs to be done.

THE OFFENDING TREE

Gary has accomplished many repairs himself; he is a capable, efficient man. He needs to focus on what he has completed, instead of cursing and listing all the chores which remain. 

Some of the maintenance has been too overwhelming for us to manage. 

We had our roof re-shingled in late June. Last week, we had an arborist come to remove an enormous maple which had grown too close to the house, and was overhanging the roof and the northwest corner of our home.

For a few hours, we were entertained by men in the tree with chain saws and limbers and tree saws. What an efficient group they were! The men took down the tree with patience and care, and no cussing.

But the work doesn’t end. We have frequent-flyer points at the waste management site from weeks of shrub trimming, damage repair on our hedges and smaller trees, and the subsequent trips to the dump.

There are still more small repair and paint duties waiting for us, outside and inside ... the work that needs to done whether we stay or sell.

THE HOLE WHERE THE TREE ISN'T

Even selling and moving are challenges. The real estate market is tricky, (a buyer’s market, we’re told) and we would need to sell our house before offering on another or renting. So, in the meantime, we work at keeping our house in the best shape possible. 

The discussions continue.