Cut It Out (Trail Maintenance)

This weekend we were graced with a Polar Vortex.... Let that sink in - 

A.Polar.Vortex..IN.July.In.LOUISIANA.  

Can I tell you? It felt good. Really, really, really good.

So what to do with all of that beautiful, cool weather? Tackle outdoor projects of course.

The best project was clearing up the main trail from our house to the Old Pond.  It is the trail that we travel the most and the one that you can travel with a car/truck.  Recently, the trail has been becoming a little tight in spots with all of that lush, summer growth and some storms knocking a few small trees and dead limbs askew.

With our project in mind, we loaded the kids up in the hubby's truck, rolled down the windows, turned on the tunes, and loaded the truck bed with tools for trimming. I hopped in the back of the truck, and we began our adventure.  Hubby drove forward slowly, stopping as needed for me to trim larger branches with the pole chainsaw.  Occasionally, he'd stop and we'd tackle a particularly big situation together.  But, my favorite was when he was driving very, very, very slowly (and super carefully (my mom reads this blog)) and I would clip small branches with the hedge trimmers.  The cool breeze in my face, good music, and getting things done with the family - what more could you ask for?

Now we have a more drive-able trail and a good family memory.

If you have any trimming to do and don't want to be tethered to a cord or deal with gas, check out the Ryobi Cordless Pole Saw.  It works on a lithium battery, and it is part of Ryobi's One+ series, which features interchangeable batteries for a variety of products - reciprocal saws, flashlights, weed trimmers, etc.  If we would have had this pole saw in Dallas, it would have saved us hundreds of dollars in annual tree trimming costs. On the farm, it is perfect to take on trail trimming adventures - no cord, no gas, and we have a stash of batteries from our various Ryobi One+ products.  It is lightweight and easy to manage, even for a petite mom of three who had no previous chainsaw experience.  At the price of $150, it really pays for itself if you have some trimming to do in your suburban yard or larger property.  See the link to the pole saw below.

http://www.homedepot.com/p/Ryobi-ONE-9-5-ft-18-Volt-Lithium-ion-Cordless-Pole-Saw-P4361/203444119

This is the combo starter kit hubby received for Christmas one year: