Widow-makers

Before.  This is a Box Elder that a windstorm tore apart.  Two large limbs are hanging from the trunk.

Widow-makers are dead trees or branches that have enough potential energy to brain the unwary and kill or maim.

After.  Half the wood here.

And half the wood here.

The wind really whistles through this gap.  My dilemma was that the windbreak would be thin and weedy if it was in partial shade.  I decided to front-load my pain.  Otherwise I would have an ineffective windbreak when my fruit trees are of bearing age.

Before. Shenandoah pear.  Orange step ladder is eight feet tall.  All of the branches above 10 feet are difficult to pick.  And, of course, the best fruit is always in the top of the tree where it gets the most sunlight.

There!  Much better.  The fruit load should drag the one branch that is sticking up back into pickable range.