We have a big old pine tree in our front yard (spruce? conifer? what should I call it, proper?) that's grown over the driveway a bit much. It bent our antenna all to hell a couple of years ago, and annoys people when they come to visit. It annoyed my sister so much that she finally decided to trim it yesterday. But she forgot to bring a saw, so demanded I fetch her one.
The serrated kitchen knife I brought out first wasn't cutting it (bwah ha ha! Punny!), and the only full-sized saw I own belonged to our great-grandfather, Christ Dyrendahl. My father owned it, and told me when I was nine years old that, as his oldest child, I would inherit it when he died. So I did. Plus, Jess probably didn't want it anyway. She's not very sentimental, usually, that sister of mine.
Which is fine, because I'm sentimental enough for the two of us.
Here is her handy-sister hand on the worn handle of a saw our great-grandfather used. (Those are his initials, see...) The wood is worn smooth where his hand held it, and the crisp edges of the wood are soft from his sweat and the heat of the work. The blade is still sharp enough to cut through thick pine branches.
Together, we made quick work of it, and aside from letting me take these pictures, I don't know that she thought much about being the fourth generation in our family to use this gorgeous saw. As she worked, though, I saw our father and great grandfather cutting their own tree branches from their own trees. And it made me glad.
5 comments:
Jennifer....I was near tears as I read about the saw...I love the heritage of it all as you described the past and who all used it, and it is still sharp. I am sentimental and proud of it. Plus I think I have been smacked in the face by that branch a time or two so good radiance to it. Way to go Jess! Grandma s
Tomorrow, Char, Jon, Zya, and I will take the ferry across the fjord to the area where Chris Dyrendahl was born and raised. I won't be able to find the home place, I am sure, but I, too, will be thinking of the generations who have come before us to give us our heritage. Grandpa Chris was said to be extremely strong, supposedly lifting the Hendrum cannon to his shoulder, and carrying it down Main Street (running?) per history told to your uncle.
skj
Wow Shirley...all that history is so cool...History is one of my many passions, especially when it involves understanding the roots where one comes from and the glorious branches that have reached out in so many different directions....Grandma s
You must be aware that growing just any kinds of trees could harm the lives of the people. There are trees that grow really huge and if you don't trim them down they could cause hazard to anybody.
Trimming and pruning of old trees should be done in order not to compromise the structure and will not be potentially hazardous to us and to our neighbor. It is important to remove it right away in order not to harm others. There are certified arborists who are experienced and completely insured to perform this task.
Post a Comment