Photo Essay: A Little Tree Work at the Smith Ranch

Andrew (left) and Johathan attack the tree.

This is the target; cut it up, take it to the curb.

The boys are lost in the bushes.

This is the front view. We're calling it Ft. Smith and hoping the city will help us return to normal.

This is where the tree's going. We have city mulch for a year or two now.

My young pals Andrew Bailey and Johathan Bocca came over this morning to take my downed Bradford Pear from the back yard to the front yard so the City of Roanoke can add the tree to its mulch and firewood piles.

The kids, who worked like they were being paid by the job (which they were) rather than by the hour, finished in two hours. That's with cleanup.

This will eventually be true recycling when I go to the City Recycling Center and get a load or two of mulch to take care of the new plantings at the back of the house. I'm looking at maybe a couple of plum trees or two crepe myrtles.