Tuesday, March 30, 2010

Fodor Farm Storm Damage....Um Yup!


Partially felled pine tree that has managed to have the last word!

That pine really portrays a perfect example of the way I've been feeling about our weather of late. First we had that tremendous unnamed hurricane (that destroyed the above magnificent pine), and now we are the recipients of three days of heavy rain and later tonight - o joy - wind. I imagine more trees are going to "fall" out of the ground, we're so saturated! Even now, more than a week later, clean-up continues from the first storm.
Must relate a conversation I had with our right-on-top-of-things City Hall. You might remember we had a big tree fall that took out four other trees as it fell out of the ground during that first storm. I called the city to see if they were responsible for the debris in the road (the trees' final resting place) or were we. City Hall told me they were responsible for cutting down the remaining trees, but then the debris would be stacked in our yard and we were responsible for its removal. I inquired about FEMA supposedly coming in, accessing the damage and then taking care of it. City Hall wasn't so sure that would happen. So...a dear friend of my son, said son and the hubs cut down the rest of the tree, but left it stacked neatly in the cul-de-sac as there was no place to put it in our yard.
The next day, a city maintenance truck came down our road, complete with a chipper, took one look at our mess and left. I called City Hall, again, the next morning:
"I saw the maintenance truck come down our road. Does this mean the city is going to clean up the tree debris?"
"Oh no, you as the owner of the property are responsible for the removal of all the debris."
"Ugh!" (silently said) "Fine! Goodby!"
I went to work with the thought that as soon as I got home I'd call a container company and rent one of those big old steel thingys so we could get all the tree stuff out.
Drove home from work...didn't notice a thing...a short time later I'm in the kitchen looking out at the street...WHAT THE HELL??? There was not one twig left from our fallen trees! Not one!
Thank GOD I forgot to call and order that container! And my beloved city? Don't know what you were thinking, but THANK YOU! You took care of a major (and expensive) headache for us!

19 comments:

  1. We are looking for a little bit of rain or clouds in the sky... It's burning hot here

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  2. Oh that's some nasty damage but I'm glad you didn't have to go to the expense of having it removed.

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  3. well thank goodness they cleaned it up! I will keep my fingers crossed you do not get a bill in the mail from them...

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  4. Wonder what today's storm will bring....

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  5. The workings (or non-workings) of municipal governments never ceases to amaze me. Thank goodness it was 'workings' in you situation. Sorry for the loss of your trees, though.

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  6. I am so in agreement with that tree ... and I am SO glad you didnt have to spend to clean up the mess

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  7. Oh my! That's odd that they'd go ahead & clean it up when they told you 'no'! But good things do happen!

    So sorry bout all the bad weather you guys are gettin up there! Hope it passes QUICKLY & drys up for ya

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  8. I'm taking it that you don't have a fireplace or outdoor burning pit?

    What a shame to lose such beautiful trees. My heart would break.

    We had an incredible wind yesterday and it blew a big branch down onto a flower pot but that was the only thing I noticed. If one of these huge trees came down on the barn - eeek! Touch wood! Quick!

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  9. Hope the storm is over rated. We had a doozy blow through... hail, sleet, wind and rain. It took 36 hours to get the whole thing ashore. Left a foot of snow in the mountains. We turned on the telly and all they talked about was the storm on the east coast.

    Which led me to believe we got off easy!

    Take care over there!

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  10. I can't believe the amount of rain you guys are getting. I have friends in RI who now live in a lake.
    stay safe and dry!

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  11. Are you getting the 80-degree weather that's predicted (here) this weekend? I hope so.

    wv: exeduc. The process that TS Annie used to get the city to clear the storm degree is a little known legal process known as exeduc. The city will at first duck from responsibility, but later they execute the task at hand.

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  12. What are the chances it was someone else with a chipper looking for mulch?

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  13. Whew! That would have been costly!

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  14. Oh, it's always so difficult to see the old ones fall, isn't it? So many storms that particular tree withstood, and there's something so frustrating in see the aftermath of the storm that finally brought it down.

    It's just, particularly as we look forward to Spring, and all the new growth and resulting hope that inspires that comes with it, it is particularly difficult to see an end to something so old.

    Aw well, perhaps trees have an afterlife, and they go on, elsewhere, full of wisdom and stories about the silly bipeds who scuttled past.

    I'm so glad it was cleaned up well, that does help make it much easier, not merely on the pocketbook, but also on the sanity!

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  15. It's always sad to lose a tree, but at least down here in the boonies we can usually just let it return to nature at its own pace. Hoping the weather gives y'all a break soon.

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  16. Ouch! Glad no one was hurt weathering the storms, but you certainly seem to have had enough to deal with in the aftermath - God bless the City council for having the good grace to step in to mop the debis up, eh?

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  17. That is some seriously nasty weather. On another note, what a beautiful collection of lovely Easter eggs in the post below.;)
    I find the name of your blog very intriguing.
    Thank you so much for taking the time to stop by my place via Hilary.
    Have a lovely Easter,
    xo
    Zuzana

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  18. Holy Wow! I just can not believe that... I hope everything starts to get better soon!

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  19. Was wondering how you all fared this week. Glad to hear no roofs, cars or heads were harmed in the process. Stay safe!

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