So now the real work is beginning.  Yesterday Tom had rented a 12 inch chipper.  It was supposed to be for the week but at the last minute they told him it was only for one day.  I had to work so my brother helped Tom chipper our backyard and pastures full of cottonwood.  Above is the 12 inch chipper being moved from the driveway toward the backyard.  (Sorry about the glare.  The sun was out yesterday.)  Unfortunately because of all the rain this spring, it got stuck en route.  Tom tried to get it out with the tractor, a jack and the farm truck.  Then the truck got stuck.  So he called AAA.  Here is the tow truck arriving.

Because the chipper was involved, AAA would not cover it and we had to pay out of pocket (on top of the enormous expense of the chipper which so far hadn’t chipped a thing). So plan B was to move the chipper back to the driveway and chip there. Tom had to drag the logs from the back to the front with the tractor and chip them there.

This was certainly inefficient but at least they were getting wood chipped.  When he returned to the backyard he would take a bucket of chips with him to spread on all the mud we are accumulating from driving the tractor all over our backyard.

At the end of the shortened day the 12 inch chipper had to be returned, and he was able to rent a 9 inch chipper  for the rest of the week.  Here is the 12 inch chipper leaving,

the 9 inch one arriving.

and being moved successfully to the backyard.

The plan for today was for Tom and I to chip all day and make a decent dent in the piles of wood in our backyard/pastures and then finish up tomorrow or Friday.  Here we are chipping away behind the barn.

But then this afternoon the chipper gave up the ghost.  It refused to chip, and there was a belt squealing sound, smoke, and metal shavings underneath.  Not good.  So no more chipping, and it goes back to the rental company.  There is not another 9 inch chipper available, and a 6 inch one is only going to create more work for use.  So we are on hold until there is a nine inch one available again.  This means many other repairs are on hold until can get this mess under control.  So we have to live with the now despised cottonwoods a little longer.  We are really sore from what chipping we did do so a break is nice though.