Last day of swim lessons for Heath today. He even got a Swimming Achievement certificate. It's hanging up in his room. He suggested that he could take lessons even if summer is over. I'll have to investigate our options for continuing on. It was nice to see him enjoy something so much.
In between swim lessons and Trader Joe's shopping and laundry and afternoon appointments, we were treated to a fantastic show across the street. Our neighbors were having some of their larger, more prosperous trees trimmed by some serious arborists. It was a crew of three guys who were so skilled at what they were doing, they seemed to slink up the trees barely touching it with their hands. Once in, they precariously balanced on limbs, and used what looked like a sharp machete attached to a yellow ten foot pole.
My crew of two was impressed, and stood gaping at the men for a very, very long time. Heath wanted to eat his lunch on our front lawn, so he wouldn't miss a single stick fall from the sky. The tree guys were kind enough to stop what they were doing and wave down to their audience. They also stopped to take a little cigarette break. I took that as my cue to shuffle the kids inside for some lunch, hoping Heath wouldn't resume his interest in being able to light up as soon as he gets older.
Of course, they both gobbled up their food and stood at the front door gawking while I cleared away the dishes. When we returned to the work site, the guys, now shirtless, were pulling the fallen brush to their pick-up trailer. Heath immediately stripped his shirt off and got to work, creating his own stick pile beside the tree service truck. And then Stella pulled her shirt over her head. (I kept mine on.) Then the two began their running dialogue and directions shouting to complete the job.
Yeah, pull that limb over there, guys, Heath hollered, in his low, serious workin' man voice.
Pu' limb 'der, Heef, Stella mimicked. Her voice is not low. Or deep. Or even all that serious. But she definitely means business by how deftly she can move one stick after another onto a pile.
When they were plenty sweaty-headed and pink-cheeked, and the for hire tree crew finished up their project and moved it on out, we made our way back home. All that heavy lifting really did a number of them. Stella napped for three hours, and even Heath passed out for a bit. Lovely.
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