Our tax dollars hard at work!

I forgot to tell you the story of how the giant tree branch pile got picked up by the city. I've been neglecting all of my blogging lately. Sounds like tonight I better spend some quality time writing! (Really, it's called work for me!)

But about the debris pile. It was kind of a funny day... We diligently moved our enormous pile of branches from the backyard (where it had been for about two weeks) out to the curb. While we were at it brandon cut down some more from the front tree. (A whole other funny story) So the pile on the sidewalk ended up higher than the mail box and longer than the Yukon. That was Sunday afternoon. Big trash day is on Monday. So Monday rolled around and no trash truck came which is pretty typical. The only day they've ever come on Monday is the one month I forgot to put my stuff out until Monday night. So I figured they'd just come on Tuesday. And they did! I excitedly watched them pick up a refrigerator, old bicycles, chairs and other large items. And then I watched them drive right by my house... I thought they must have needed to come at our house at a different angle so they were going around the block or something to come back. (our house is at a funny angle to the rest of the street) But they never came back. I was so sad!!! Our huge pile of branches was just sitting there on the side of the road! They couldn't have possibly missed it! AND a storm was coming so the wind was blowing small branches all over the place. Then I was mad! I pulled up the number for the city and was all ready to call them and demand that they come back but it was lunch time and Peyton was more demanding at the time. So I decided I'd call after lunch. Well then Brandon came home and when I told him what happened he was madder than me! So we were sitting at the table steaming and eating lunch and he looked up (and out the window), smiled and said 'they're here!'. And were they ever! They hadn't neglected us! They had to go back for reinforcements! Just for us, they came back with a second truck that had a huge retrieving arm and stabilizers for the truck itself! I wish I had taken a picture! The one with the arm pulled up next to the pile and these stabilizing feet came out of the side. Then the regular trash truck pulled up next to that one. The crane arm picked up the branches and deposited them into the regular truck. I think it took three scoops to get it all. Then the legs retracted back into the truck, the guys hopped back in and they were off! The whole thing probably took three minutes. It was hilarious! Mostly because we were in disbelief that all of that was just for our pile of branches!

Really, I wish I had a picture or a video or something. It was very comical. But it was even better because we were so sure our lazy trash men had seen our big pile and said 'nah, we'll get it next month.' (Or something to that effect!) (and no, I don't REALLY think they are lazy. I'm very glad they are willing to pick up our disgusting trash!)