It was kind of a weird day. Took off work to take the camper to the dealer for a mandatory annual warranty inspection. I usually wait with it and do some computer work while I’m waiting. Got there and they said there was a mix up so they’d take it but it would be Tuesday before they could get it back to me unless we REALLY needed it for a trip or something. I could have gotten all stupid about it but they’ve been decent to us in the past and we don’t need it for a while so there was no reason to do anything other than drop it and head home. My father is in the hospital so I took him some stuff he wanted and visited with him a bit. Thought about going on to work but didn’t feel like it and had the whole day scheduled off so went home.
Got home about lunchtime and asked wife what, if anything, she wanted to do together. She said, “It’s your day off and I don’t have anything to do today that can’t wait until tomorrow so whatever you want. Might be a good day to look at Airstreams.” I say, “We’ve been together 33 years. You know I’m very literal and hints don’t work. You want to go look at Airstreams?” She, “No, that was just a suggestion; we’ll do whatever you want.” Me, “In that case I’m trimming trees.” She, “I’ll meet you outside in a little while.”
45 minutes later I hear the faint sound of the Mule starting. I took the pole saw and loppers but left her the Mule because I’m not a total jerk. Put down the pole saw and got my phone out. 30 seconds later it rings, “Where ARE you??” “Field by the road. East end.” “What are you doing there? Didn’t you hear I wanted to look at Airstreams?” “You’ve known me 33 years. You know hints don’t work. I smell like the inside of a shoe now. I’m trimming trees.”
So we trimmed trees. Apparently Golden Rain Trees don’t self prune, at least not quick enough for my liking. So we trimmed the dead stuff out of them. Then all the dead limbs and dead little trees along the driveway and a few around the yards.
Cleaned up about 80% of it with the grapple. Was planning to put the chipper on and chip some of the bigger stuff in place rather than cutting it smaller to fit down the trails to the brush piles and then hauling it to be chipped later. Wife doesn’t like me chipping alone (can’t really argue much with that) and she was looking pretty gassed (90* and humid) so the chipping will wait for the weekend.
If we still hauled brush with the pickup and piled it up to rot without chipping, I don’t know how much of this we would have done.
The Kaibab Plateau is the best part of AZ as far as I'm concerned, just gorgeous. Just my opinion so don't get bent out of shape if you live in other parts of AZ. 
