Pony House still needs some fine-tuning and outside beautification, but it's essentially done. It's being safely lived-in now by The Pony. However... that giant pecan tree still loomed in the side yard.
Hick should have heeded his initial assessment of that Tree-Trimmer Guy. Even though he pushed that dude to get insurance and show proof, and sign a "contract" agreeing to the terms of the pecan tree removal... his worst fears were realized.
TREE-TRIMMER GUY LEFT HICK HANGING!
The last time he was there, Hick gave him the rest ($1000, of the original $3250) of the money so he could rent a man-lift to reach some of the upper limbs more safely than climbing up a ladder and shinnying out too far. Tree-Trimmer Guy didn't get all the work done that day. He had to return the man-lift to get his deposit back.
Hick never saw him again. Tree-Trimmer Guy at first said he was coming back to finish, but according to the neighbor, he showed up one day for about a half-hour and left. Hick has not heard from him since, despite numerous texts inquiring as to the completion of the labor, or the refund of $600 for the uncompleted work.
You're shocked, I'm sure.
Finally Hick talked to a buddy of his, who said he could get the trunk down on the ground for $$300-$400. Hick jumped on that deal.
There's that behemoth, on the side of the house next to the neighbor. As Hick said, "I'm really glad it's down." Yeah. Imagine that falling on Pony House!
This is kind of the same view, but showing more of the distal end of that pecan tree.
Here's more, showing the side of the garage that needs extreme TLC. Hick will cut up the trunk, with a little help from his friends, who want some of the pecan wood for smoking meat and making furniture stuff like cabinet panels.
The best part of this deal is: the buddy of Hick did the job BEFORE being paid for it. Saw a picture Hick sent him by text, got the address, went by to look at it, and did the job the next day. Said he will stop by Hick's Storage Unit Store to pick up his cash.
That's because unlike SOME PEOPLE, Hick is a man of his word.
One good deed... Grandson prepaid a guy to buil barn doors and the guy never showed up. Ticked off he called the cops who said the guy was in jail for doing this to several suckers. People can be creeps. Glad that tree is down.
ReplyDeleteI DID suggest to Hick that Tree-Trimmer Guy might be locked up. But more likely, he's just ignoring Hick's texts. I think next time, Hick will trust his instincts before hiring such a scammer.
DeleteHick's error was in not going with Tree-Trimmer Guy when he took back the man-lift, so HICK could get the deposit back. Because that's why he gave Tree-Trimmer Guy the rest of the money, to afford the man-lift. Otherwise, Hick would only have paid him afterward, for the work done that day.
There's money in that tree for someone. Furniture, fire wood and what. Even more money in not having it smash Pony House.
ReplyDeleteI am thrilled to have that tree down, especially after our spate of bad weather a couple weeks ago, with tornadoes in the forecast.
DeleteI'm sure Hick will have no problem getting rid of that wood for free! Or maybe he'll charge each woodcutter 50 cents...
That's a big tree alright! Will The Pony end up with any pieces to put in the yard for sitting on? He doesn't have to sit on them himself, he could sit pot plants on them, like a small area with three stumps in assorted sizes, then make a flower bed around the base.
ReplyDeleteI'm glad it got down so quickly and cheaply too.
Hick originally told Tree-Trimmer Guy that he wanted the base left as a picnic table. He forgot to tell his buddy about that. It WOULD be nice if The Pony got a couple of stump-stools to sit on outside. He's not much of a plant person.
DeleteNow I can worry about something else besides that tree falling on Pony House and possibly PONY!
I would have looked for someone willing to do the job for the wood. That is money on the ground! Hick could saw big slices and sell them! I saw someone here doing just that. Crafters will pay top dollar for wood like that.
ReplyDeleteHick has promised his wood to several people, heh, heh. I told him he should cut those big slabs and trim them and hollow them out and set up billboards to sell PECAN BOWLS. Like the Walnut Bowls advertised around Lebanon, MO.
DeleteI could imagine those slabs making some pretty clocks. But who uses actual clocks these days?