Solid surface work has been pretty slow in <!—-><!—-> <!—->Michigan<!—-><!—-> lately, so I’ve had time to do some landscaping. I had an 8’ tall arborvitae that was originally planted too close to another, plus my neighbor’s boat trailer needs disguising. I need to scooch that thing over about eight feet.
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I started by digging the hole it’s going into and put the dirt on the driveway so it would be easier to shovel up. I dug up the arb leaving about a 30†root ball. I was tuggin’ and pullin’ on the stems of that arb, but it wasn’t budging. This calls for hillbilly landscaping techniques.
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I take a ½â€ thick rope about 20 feet long and stuff the middle of it under the root ball as far as I have dug. I tie the ends on the trailer hitch of my Toyota Matrix. The idea is to cut whatever dirt and/or roots that are holding this thing so I can move it. I’ve had great success with this technique in the past, never lost a plant.
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I fire up the <!—-> <!—->Toyota<!—-><!—->, let out the clutch and tension the rope, so far so good. I tug a little more and check. It’s working, but I need a little more. I recognize the stench of burning clutch plates in the air, so I’m going to rev ‘er up and pop the clutch. It pulls real hard then nothing. This is too good to be true, not only have I severed the roots, but I’ve pulled the arb out of it’s hole and it’s laying on the ground, 30†root ball intact, inches from it’s new home! I should have videotaped this for one of those landscaping shows my wife is always watching.
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I rolled it into the hole, and filled it with the driveway dirt. Hose ‘er down and done. You can still see the trailer though.
Kowboy
Replies
More importantly, did you spill your beer when it came loose? :-)
Usually this kind of story includes the words, "Hey everyone, watch this!"
I think you maybe want to say 'Hey Y'all, watch this!!'
cheers
I thought of that, but since Kowboy is in Michigan they probably say You Guys instead of Y'all....
Woops! You're right. Where is that they say Youse Guys? NY?
PittsburghAnd it's "all ya'll" if there is more than one...
Chicago
For real? I grew up in the cornfields SW of Chicago and can't remember it being used.
yaas gotta see this...
but let's do it from back yonder...
have at it kowboy...
Life is not a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in a pretty and well preserved body, but rather to skid in broadside, thoroughly used up, totally worn out, and loudly proclaiming<!----><!----><!---->
WOW!!! What a Ride!<!----><!---->
Forget the primal scream, just ROAR!!!
Dem Yoopers up dere hey y'all i believe and plural form would be all y'all... the wisconsin redneck
IanIf it's not broke I can fix it
"hey all y'all watch this!" - redneck's famous last words."aw sh** I could do that!" - his best friend's last words."Hold my beer." -HIS best friend's last words.
Halfway thru reading your post I'm thinking you're about to tell us it wouldn't budge because the roots had intertwined with the gas main!!!
But for that to have happened, it would have to be one of my stories. <g>
Glad it worked for you..Buic
I almost cut through my cablevision wire, just missed it.
Kowboy
Sorry Kowboy,
'Round here any story about "hillbilly" must include a '76 Ford 4x4 with a new flat bed fresh from the sawmill. Not a Toyota Matrix?
Thanks, Grott.
I stand corrected.
Kowboy
Next time I need something pulled, I'm calling you.
We had an old suburban that took root in the dirt driveway and I decided it was time to move it out. Went out and got a nice new tow strap, wrapped it around the trailer hitch of my big Suburban and fastened it to the old one. Pulled forward, again, again, and then heard the sound of breaking glass as the strap broke loose, putting a nice big piece of metal through the back window and not many inches away from my head in the front seat.
Not fun.
Don K.
EJG Homes Renovations - New Construction - Rentals
That's nice, let somebody else risk his life... LOL
You need a tractor. One large enough to move sheds. And houses. Then buy some grade 70 chain. Hydraulics avoids back pain.
Yesterday's auction had a Cat 920, almost Bertha's size. Started and sounded great. Didn't stay, but it probably didn't bring much over $1k. BTW, Bertha snapped a 1/2" chain towing my dead 8 ton crawler up my driveway when the novice driver applied the brakes too hard steering. She never broke a sweat.
I'm in love. PAHS Designer/Builder- Bury it!
Tom - How 'bout you let me get down to VA before we start buying tractors? I don't even have a 1/4 acre up here and no garage, so there isn't even a good place to store it. I don't want to think what the neighbors would say.
Haven't talked in a while. Going to Memphis? Or are you still waiting for me to show up on your door? (G)
Don K.
EJG Homes Renovations - New Construction - Rentals
Well... it's in Va you had that shed/neighbor problem to take care of. And where the tractor was.
So, take your pick...PAHS Designer/Builder- Bury it!
Lemmee guess - andthen you decided to try starting the old Suburban and she fired right up and drove herself out.
Welcome to the Taunton University of Knowledge FHB Campus at Breaktime. where ... Excellence is its own reward!
For extra points, you would have had to do it with the wife's new Toyota Matrix .....and then _tell_ her you did it.
'Youse guys' was also in rural Southwestern Ontario when I was growing up. In my mind it always goes hand in hand with 'seen' as the simple past tense. As in:
"Youse guys seen Billy, lately?"
" Yeah, I seen him yesterday."
If you can work an 'eh' in there, too, you've got it.