widow maker-5 weeks late.

Tony in Mass. · Dec 4, 2011

This is something that was hanging above the firewood pile, was wonder about it the last few days stacking the rest of the downed stuff. I figured I wouldn't park the riding mower too close this winter, cause it might fall by springtime. Just as I am putting stuff away at dark- I hear this coming down, I yell to the kids 'look at the tree over there!' no kids. oh boy I run. no kids there either, so that's good. What is really awesomely good, is that where the heaviest chunk of butt landed was exactly where the Allis CA torque tube was 24 hours ago. I pulled it out to the shop to get ready to sell it in YT clasifieds, to pay for my new fergie. then I was worried it hit the snap couple 2 bottom plow, missed that too. But, no visible damage, to great grandpa's walking plow. Pool ladder handles, rest cast iron, survived well. I wonder what a good running feather weight CA broke in half woulda got me- on this classifieds, or a junk yard? It was not a near miss. It fell on target. Just a day late and a dollar short.

Adrian Billheimer · Dec 4, 2011

Lucky timing! And glad it didn't come down on top of you or anyone else.

Anonymous-0 · Dec 4, 2011

I see LEAVES!!! many, many leaves!!

Tony in Mass. · Dec 4, 2011

Yes. I noticed that too. I was helping my uncle with widow maker in his yard yesterday- we got it with a 'monkey fist'. A good sailor like you should know monkey...fist-tes? Anyway, only one in the maple tree with any leaves. Another of mine over the power lines- I ain't gonna touch, and one over the garage... all still have leaves. Seems they all snapped when still sorta green, so they didn't fall off with the rest of the healthy part of the tree... hummmm.... we have many psychiatrists on these forums, but where is a BOTANIST when you need one???

bill mart · Dec 5, 2011

is that an oak tree ? bill m.

Traditional Farmer · Dec 5, 2011

You calling that twig a Widow Maker?

mkirsch · Dec 5, 2011

Unless it fell from a long long way up, there's no way that twig would have done anything to that plow, or the torque tube... Sheet metal yeah, you'd have a dent to pound out.

If it fell on your head you'd have a hum dinger of a headache, but your wife would be sorely disappointed because you'd still be alive...

Tony in Mass. · Dec 5, 2011

To Bill, yes, red oak. All old and have some sort of virus.
To T.Farmer, if a married man was standing under it, and survived, I don't think recovery would be fast or painless. His wife could easily smother him with a pillow. She would then be a widow.
To Kruser, yep, top 25 feet of an 85 footer. The souund was like a shotgun when it snapped, rattled wrenches 200 feet away when it hit dirt. Big hole in the sky now. The power company trimmed their right of way with a 60 foot truck, this chunk wasn't one they wanted to bother with. They trim to the inch. That is why New England was in the dark for a month. The cherry picker maxed out a long way from the thin stuff. It twisted down fast, with a loud snap, and came straight down-at an angle! Not on the firewood as I thought, but right where the CA was. The last one like that weighed in at we figured +/-1500, but with less leaves this lighter, but as Lyle noticed, the leaves on these hangers are still there. yep. Fewer pyschologist, more arborist needed on here.

Traditional Farmer · Dec 5, 2011

If that weighs 1500lbs you "Got Gold in them thar Trees"

Tony in Mass. · Dec 5, 2011

Mr Farmer, I didn't take pics of the whole thing, just the part that hit grandpa's plow and where the CA was. 4 pieces in different directions- whole top shattered. only I was impressed the tractor wasn't there. All togther a bunch of heavy stove wood, and a couple truck loads of brush to the dump. And Yes, as gas and fuel oil goes up, oak is worth a few bucks. Not now tho, the country side is covered in dead downed wood. People pay to get rid of it.
Just pulled over a tree surgeon that lives around the corner. He said oak trees like this make half a 10 ton load-legally. About 4to5 tons of chips, as they weigh him at the dump. He figures without the green leaves, this would be about 7-800 lb, was twice that last month. And no, he won't trade any gold for it, he wants gold to haul it all away.

widow maker-5 weeks late.

Tony in Mass.

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Adrian Billheimer

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Anonymous-0

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Tony in Mass.

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bill mart

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Traditional Farmer

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mkirsch

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Tony in Mass.

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Traditional Farmer

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Tony in Mass.

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