Leaning maple tree down!

I finally got around to cutting down the maple tree that was leaning toward the farm house.  That same tree was probably the tree that was sending roots into the septic tank.  I climbed up the ladder that I leaned against the tree and used the electric chainsaw to cut off the lowest limbs.  Then, after cutting the lowest limbs off, I pushed the ladder up higher into the tree and tied a rope as high as I could.  Then I attached the rope to the tractor and pulled to put some tension on the tree in the direction that I wanted it to fall.  I climbed up the letter and then cut a notch and then back-cut the tree.  I left a good 2x5 thickness of wood uncut to be sure the tree wouldn't fall before I had sufficient tension on the rope with the tractor.  I got down off the letter went to the tractor started up and pulled very gently until the tree came down.  I did this for two sections of the tree.  Then all that was left was the main trunk which I cut down a couple days later.

Here are some pictures:

I ground up some of the brush using the chipper but a key broke (or was thrown?) on the feed gear and I had to stop.  I got a new key at Ridgeline hardware but I didn't have time to install it before I had to come back home.  The key looks small so I will have to shim it I think or else it will just vibrate out again.

While at the farm I also cleaned up the red barn some more.  I screwed down a lot of loose roofing and installed a lockable hook on the door.  At this point my plan is to make a pair of sawhorses for general use and to make another rolling door so that I can close the barn up entirely.  I am considering putting an electric line out there so that I can use the red barn for wood working and the old garage as my metal shop.  We will see.  I haven't even got the electricity into the two nearby garages yet!

Speaking of electricity installations, I have figured that I need a distribution wire of quadraplex, 2-2-2-4, aluminum - 136 feet for the new garage and 25 feet for the old garage. from article " If you install a 100 amp breaker 240 volt in the dwelling, then you may use a 2 awg four wire URD aluminum cable from that dwelling’s panel to that garage disconnect. "  Each garage needs its own ground rod to which the service ground connects.  The neutral from the service is ISOLATED from the ground in the garage boxes (unlike the neutral in the main box, where ground and neutral are connected).  

Also, a note to myself about the lighting needs:  consider getting LED lights!  They don't burn out as fast and don't have the issues of fluorescent lights!