TIMBER!!!!

Yesterday Nick and I really put the skidder to work! One corner of our backyard (right outside our kitchen window) has a huge stump (20 feet tall) that has been there so long it is completely covered in ivy.


The bats do enjoy nesting in it but it really is an eye sore. In case you didn't know, English ivy is an invasive plant in Oregon and the bane of my existence. I actually hate ivy more than blackberry vines. If I had 10cents for each hour I have spent yanking out ivy from its roots, I would be a thousandaire by mow. The stump is a breeding ground for ivy and it takes up a ton of valuable sunny space in the yard so it had to go. Nick has already tried unsuccessfully several times to cut it down, but pulling it down was really the only option. Thank goodness for the skidder!

I have video of the stump coming down but it won't upload properly so you will just have to use your imagination. Above is the stump before. Here is the stump on its side:


And here is the finished product:


We had to take down the fence to have enough room to down the stump. Once it was down and dragged away then I had to clear all the remaining ivy.

Now we have a nice clear patch that gets some nice sun. We plan on making it the fruit grove with our blueberry bushes and strawberry plants.

The land renovation is already getting rave reviews from the wildlife - I saw a Lynx near the clearing this morning!