Day Four - Trimming and taking down trees

So here are the plans.
 We will plan on working March 21st (Friday and remove the trees first. Paul Odum (a school mate) gave me permission to haul to the brush piles behind the Cemetery. If any of you can work a few hours that day or just want to come and be with us, please do so. I will plan on being there around 9:00 am. I have all the tools we will need to get the job done. We just need workers. Its also nice to have someone just to get us something to eat for lunch.  We will look forward to seeing you there.
 
If everything goes well on Thursday, I have plans to dig the line post holes on Saturday.
I have checked with Garr's Rental (Roy Garr is a friend of mine) about a Groundhog post digger and will reserve it first thing tomorrow morning. The cost is $85.00 per day and I have a $15.00 coupon. I will let you do the math. This is a digger on trailer wheels around 20 horse power. It has to be pulled around from hole to hole by manpower.  I had a digger offered to me by a friend that would operate from my tractor but his auger was 12" which is too large. It should not take long to dig 45 holes.
Again we need your help as this is too hard work for just two or three. If you can come and help us with this project, we will surely welcome you and appreciate your efforts.
 
I have talked again today with Dave Velheim who owns the land next to the Cemetery. He has been more than supportive. We own him our thanks. As we all know it could have been different. He has assured me that moving the fence on the west side is not a problem. He already has an extension cord ran from his garage for us to run the concrete mixer. He said he has the plat that shows a 15 foot easement to the Cemetery and has offered us a copy. A copy would be good for the Gleaves Family Association records for future generations.
Thanks again Dave.
 
If everything goes as planned it will take two more trips after Friday and Saturday to finish. The line posts have to be set in quickcrete and let it cure at least overnight and then we can install the fence.
 
Feel free to contact me if any question either by e-mail or by phone. I can be reached at 615-449-3385 or cell at 615-305-1347.
 You can keep up with the progress as pictures are being posted.
 Sorry for such a long e-mail.
 Hope to see you real soon.
 Owen Gleaves

Day Four, Friday, March 21:  Fran describes the activity: We did have a good day but George, Owen and Bobby had to work awfully hard since they were the only ones working.   We are hoping for more men tomorrow.  They did not totally finish today.  There is another rotten tree that needs to be trimmed.  However, they were tired and were concerned that the limbs would fall on the tombstones.  The trees they cut were almost completely hollow.  Tomorrow I will send you a picture of George climbing a tree.  Believe me that fireman knows not only how to climb a ladder but also how to climb a tree.  It was fascinating to watch him.  He was climbing the tree in order to get the rope placed higher that they were using to guide the tree down so it would not hit the tombstones.  We had hoped as you know to have enought to get a tree service to come in and do that work but we did not obtain that much.  Hilda came by and spent a couple of hours and William Hurt whose parents are buried there came by.  However, he is on oxygen  and was unable to help.