Starting a routine bigger birch with a bunch of decay and damage, two main stems with a lot of phototropic growth reaching over the street.
Rigged down, in front of the chipper feed tray, and zip-lined out into the open street, as there are 15' rhododendrons and japanese maples, and ..., on the Do Not Smash List everywhere beneath the main lead. The smaller leader has manicured lawn on the one side, so two pieces of plywood for the branch butts to hit, and the bulk of the branches, did it.
Was busy orchestrating it, and didn't have time for pics. Tomorrow.
My one groundman is done on Friday, going off to Wildland Firefighting. He's onward and upward, and welcome back after the fire season, if he wants.
My former employee, who has been out with family medical stuff, is making a move, got a connection into the carpenter's union, and will be testing about a month out. I told him he's welcome to come practice all the stuff for his apprentice test, at my shop. Measuring, cutting, banging nails, moving stacks of (5)-2x's, Hauling up buckets of nails.
He's needing a good 'out' from treework into a career path. Not sure he's climber material, and groundmen don't usually last into their 60s. He said that so much of the stuff that I beat the bible about safety and productivity at my show, are the things that he will be tested on for his spot.