Cleaning up after the ice storm

To start, please forgive the outdated blog header.  I have not reinstalled photoshop on my laptop yet so haven't been able to make a new one.  And I have not been blogging or Facebooking or reading blogs for some time.  My attentions have been focused elsewhere.  So, don't think I've forgotten about you, my blog-friends.  I've just been a bit AWOL.  

Partly due to the storm cleanup.  Bryan's dad and mom, and his uncle and aunt came this past Saturday to help with cleaning up limbs.  Bryan lucked up and found a portable bucket lift in Clarksville to use to reach the tops of the trees.  Unfortunately, most of Saturday's effort was a wash-up, literally, because it rained the better part of the day.  They only got a few hours in on Saturday.  His mom and dad stayed that night and Bryan and his dad worked like madmen all day Sunday to get the trees done.  Bryan's mom (aka "Nana") helped with the kids and we both kept everyone fed and helped the guys

 whenever they needed something.

It got dark before they got the trees done, but they got a flashlight and chugged on.  I helped them move limbs so they could access the last couple of trees.  On the last tree, the controls up in the bucket stopped working, so I had to stand by the main controls on the base, flashlight held with my chin, while they told me which buttons to push.  Finally, around 7:30 pm that night, they finished, both guys worn out, but it's done.  Now, we just have to clean up the aftermath, but the hard part is over. 

I'll sure miss the shade this summer, but at least we'll have no leaves to rake in the fall :)