Cherry Picker Weekend(s)

So, we've been waiting for months to rent a large lift (aka a cherry picker) for a long weekend to take care of multiple tasks that we are not able to accomplish with mere ladders alone.  Did we get a small lift?  Nope.  The 50 footer that had to be towed with a truck (also rented).  Did we get it all done in one weekend?  Nope - the wind did not cooperate so this morphed from one long weekend into two. 

The tree trimming took the majority of our time and effort.  Rob was a master trimmer and feller of trees.  Branches that look small thirty five feet in the air appear quite large when they fall on the ground and need to be dragged and piled carefully in the growing brush pile.  I was the dragger of branches, sticks, debris.

As overgrown as the yard was when we bought Glenlochan, we've been clearing and clearing and clearing.  Now, we also want to give the trees that are remaining the best chance of survival.  So many trees were dying or dead from neglect, overcrowding and hideous vine growth.  Here's one tree that we are saving pre-vine removal.

Here's the large brush pile as evidence of our hard (exhausting) work and efforts.  It takes up more than half the back yard and is taller than all of us!

Next up was the removal of the exterior stickers from the second story awning windows.  Although the rest of the windows all had their factory stickers removed long ago, I could not reach these from inside the house because awning windows don't tilt inward.  And, being on the second floor made them impossible to reach without the lift. 

Tip - don't ever wait to remove the protective stickers from new windows - remove them immediately.  The sun and elements seal them to the windows and make removal a hundred times more difficult than a simple peel.  Three hours, several razor blades and half a bottle each of Goo be Gone and industrial strength window cleaner and the windows were clear for the first time since installation.  This was my turn in the cherry picker and I enjoyed using it (but not the sticker peeling task),  Pristine windows at last!

Last up was hanging the second story shutters.  Sadly, they are not all painted yet (still working through the caulking, priming and painting of the first story shutters) but I managed to complete those for the second story windows in time. 

The vintage look hardware and shutterdogs (the s-hooks at the bottom) were selected and ordered with care far in advance of cherry picker weekend. Rob expertly installed them on the upper three windows.

They look awesome, if a little lopsided/topheavy without shutters on the bottom windows.  Loving it.

Back to shutter painting....