SMUD: our energy provider.
This is a "thank you" documentary about a job well done.
Prepared by Jay O'Brien on December 28, 2000.
SMUD: our energy provider.
This is a "thank you" documentary about a job well done.
Prepared by Jay O'Brien on December 28, 2000.
The mulberry tree in our front yard has required regular trimming for many years to keep it out of the power lines. It also encroached on the street, and once in a while a truck would hit some of the branches. Sometimes the branches would be low enough to make it difficult to mow the front lawn. It was a real pain for us, and for SMUD. It was time for it to come out.
I called SMUD's tree number, 732-5854, which is on SMUD's web site at http://www.smud.org/residential/services/tree.html . Marv Perrigo, Tree Trimming Supervisor and Certified Arborist, came out to inspect the tree. He agreed that it would be a good investment for SMUD to take it out, if I agreed.
He explained that the crew would do everything possible to not damage my fence or my lawn, and that they would leave burnable wood for me in manageable size pieces. I expressed my concern about the potential for damage, given the size and weight of the tree. He explained that the crew would cut it down a little at a time and he assured me that they were really "pro's". He was right, as the pictures show.
Walt and his crew arrived in the afternoon on December 27th, and finished at 10:30 am today.
The crew was a joy to watch. They were concerned about safety at all times; watching and directing traffic, managing the safety rope on branches, taking precautions to not damage my fence or the shrubbery around the tree, not to dig up the ditch, not to damage the SMUD, Pacific Telephone or Comcast cables, and they even observed and protected my drip watering system.
These folks are the unsung heroes of SMUD. They don't actually work with the electricity itself, but they are there when needed to clear the way for the wires. And it's obvious that they are as safety conscious as are the high-voltage folks!
I'm one of the first to complain when our municipal providers make a mistake. So, it's only right that I pay a compliment when it is deserved. And, it IS deserved.
Hopefully the pictures have loaded for you in the time you have
taken
to read this little story.
This is how it looked before the crew started
This is how it looked at the end of the job. But to get here safely,
it took planning and skill.
A branch overhanging the street was used as a support for a safety
rope.
Large branches were tied off to the safety rope before they were cut.
Walt finishes a cut carefully by putting his weight on it before it
is swung over the fence and lowered.
An unobstructed view of the support branch and how it was used.
The high part is almost done.
Rather than carry it away, the wood is cut into manageable size so
I can age it for later use.
"Pathfinder" is applied to the stump, to prevent future growth.
The front of our house sure looks a lot different! Now it's our job
to move the wood.
Here's where the wood will age for the next year.
Thanks, guys, for a job well done! SMUD provides energy. I'll bet you didn't know that energy includes firewood!
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