The mother of all trees.......can we save her?????

The day that we set the 14 tons white pine tree that was 46 feet long and 52 inches at the butt wide, we are so proud. I mean this is a center piece to the entire house, the stairway.


The tree was set on it's pedestal ever so gently, then it was plumbed, leveled and squared to the floor and roof system that was under way.


Then came August 2nd and at 9:14 the first call came into 911, then the second, the third, and by morning everything had changed. When we got back from vacation in Spain, this was how the tree looked. Laying on it's side.


Nothing was left, nothing could be saved, it was a total loss. The bridge in the upper right hand corner did not receive any damage, but everything else had gone up in smoke.


No that is not something from outer space, just Brady giving me the thumbs up about the tree. They had been trying for 2 days to see if this gem of the Cherokee National Forest could be saved. The amount of ash was just unreal, there was ash dust everywhere as they used power washers, air compressors, wire brushes, grinders, whatever they could think of to work some magic.


Of course, Brady's best friend Kim was not in any mood to have her picture taken looking like a West Virginia goal miner, but what a great job they both did.


After 4 days, it was decided that the tree not only could be saved, but during the process it actually developed more character. The tree of all trees is going to be placed back on it's pedestal were it belongs.....and very soon as we will never give up on a dream....NEVER....NEVER.....NEVER!!!!!!