LOUIE THE RESCUE PUP

If you haven't met Louie yet he's Riki and Ali's lab/hound rescue mix. They brought him home over the summer and after a few bumps in the road, and a lot of TLC, he's finally settling into his new home. He especially loves his baby sister, Flo! You can read a little more about Louie's success story on the Northeast Animal Shelter's website. As a family we've had both breeder and rescue dogs over the years and highly recommend checking out local animal shelters when looking for a new pup. There are so many great dogs out there looking for a good home!

HELP WANTED!

Hi all. We're looking for tree climbers and groundsmen to join our team. Hours are flexible and pay is competitive. Experience is a plus but not necessary. CDL is a bonus. If you're hardworking and love the outdoors please email us at retelletree@gmail.com for more info! We look forward to hearing from you.

WELCOME BABY FLO

Riki and Ali have a new baby! Her name is Flo and she's an 8 week old french bulldog. 

She's the absolute cutest. Sampson's got a new girlfriend.

A PEEK AT LINDSEY & ERIC'S SUMMER WEDDING

 We had a crazy summer preparing for my wedding in August but it was a huge success! I'll add more pictures soon, but in the meantime my boss, Erin, did an awesome post about it on her blog. Click here to check it out! Of course Sampson made his way into most of the pics. :)

SAYING GOODBYE TO RICH

We are incredibly sad to have lost our cousin, Richard Bourdelais Jr., to cancer earlier this week. He was a wonderful guy and loved by all who knew him. Our thoughts and prayers are with his entire family  - particularly his children and his mother and father - as they grieve the loss of a great man who was taken from us much too soon. 

Like many young guys in the family he spent a summer or two working for Retelle Tree and I was able to dig up a few old photos to share. I think he would have enjoyed them. Rest easy, Rich. You'll forever be missed. 

HAPPY BIRTHDAY PETE!

This past weekend we threw my dad a surprise 60th birthday party! 

Extended family and friends came together to celebrate and it was a great time.

Of course in true Retelle fashion we had to do an egg toss 

(congrats to Maureen and John who beat out Riki and Fletch in the end!).

Little Fletch (aka the 3rd son) pulled off a witty roast / toast.

Thanks to my Aunt Julie for hosting and making this super cute dirt cake! 

Naturally this little munchkin stole the show most of the day.

Then yesterday we topped off the celebration with steamers and lobsters.

Hope you had fun, Dad. We love you!

(So awesome he's saved this shirt all these years :).

WELCOME HOME BABY HUNTER!

Two hours after we lost Morgan on Wednesday we were overjoyed to welcome the newest member of our family - Ayla and Brian's son - Hunter Richard Retelle. He is a perfect little peanut weighing in at 6 lbs 15.5 oz. We're so in love!

Little munchkin with his uncle Riki... maybe we have a future tree worker on our hands?

SAYING GOODBYE TO MORGAN

It's been a very eventful week for our family - with moments both very happy (more on that later) and very sad. Our sweet lab mix rescue, Morgan, passed away peacefully at home on Wednesday morning. 5 years ago Riki and his girlfriend, Ali, received a call that there was a dog who needed a good home. Within hours she was in our driveway joining her second family. Her happy and loving personality made everyone, including Sampson, fall in love immediately. Affectionately known as 'Pete's shadow' she loved going for walks in the woods and getting into any and all kinds of water - the smellier the better. She really was the sweetest, most loyal dog, and we will always miss her.

Her final resting spot next to the pond where she and Sampson loved to swim. Love you M.

PROFILE :: FLOWERING TREES

One of our favorite things about springtime in New England is the flowering trees. They're reaching their peak right now and provide such a colorful reprieve from all the dreary days we suffered through this winter. There are many to choose from but today we're focusing on 3 in particular - the Eastern Redbud, the Common Flowering Dogwood and the Kwanzan Cherry.

The Eastern Redbud (Cercis canadensis) typically prefers the southern states, but we're lucky enough to have a few around town and this year they are particularly beautiful. A deciduous tree that is part of the Legume family, Eastern Redbuds are known for their spectacular purple and pink clustered flowers. 

The Common Flowering Dogwood (Cornus florida) is very popular in our area. A smaller tree, Flowering Dogwoods are between 15'-30' high at maturity. In our area they typically bloom in April and the 'flower' is actually made up of a cluster of small greenish flowers surrounded by white bracts. Some cultivars produce beautiful pink (or even red) bracts as seen below. Flowering Dogwoods prefer moist soil with a mix of sun and shade and are an important source of food for birds during late summer when they produce fruit clusters to distribute their seeds. 

Last but not least is the stunning Kwanzan Cherry (Prunus serrulata). These small, spreading trees can grow as wide as they are tall and are easily recognized by their lush pink or white flowers. Kwanzan Cherries prefer full sun and well-drained soil, but they are very sensitive to pests, stress and pollution. The typical life span is only 15-20 years, but they're well worth it thanks to their beauty.

We have a Kwanzan Cherry in our yard dedicated to Khloe's memory and this year it's blooms are especially lovely!

TODAY'S PROJECT :: TRANSPLANTING

Today's chilly, rainy weather gave us some time to get a few things done around the farm - one of which was moving 2 large fir trees to another area on the property. They were carefully dug out by hand then the tree spade we contracted performed it's magic! Here are a few pictures in process.

 

PROFILE :: THE BIRCH TREE

In our area most birch trees are easily recognized by their white bark, but did you know that there are several species that actually do not have white bark at all? 

Birches can be separated into two main categories - the white birch group and the sweet birch group. The white birches include the commonly known paper birch (Betula papyrifera) and gray birch (Betula populifolia) among others. The paper and gray birch are similar in color, but the paper birch is usually larger, single-trunked and the mature trees possess the pretty, peeling white bark that is so often seen in our New England woods. The gray birch, on the other hand, typically grows in smaller, multi-trunked clusters and it's mature grey-white bark does not peel. Both species have a dark reddish brown bark when the trees are young. 

The sweet birch group has a much darker and rougher bark throughout their life span. The sweet birch (Betula lenta) has a wintergreen aroma on it's twigs and leaves, and the sap can be extracted to make birch beer. In general, birch trees are too small to be useful for lumber, but one species in this group, the yellow birch (Betula alleghaniensis,) is slow growing and can get quite large (up to 100 feet). For this reason the yellow birch accounts for approximately 75% of birch lumber in the United States and can be used for plywood, furniture and veneer.

All birch trees are deciduous and their oval leaves turn to pretty shades of yellow and orange in the fall.

The peeling bark of a paper birch - it's quick to burn and doesn't rot easily making it a very useful material in the forest. It's important to know that if you peel the bark of a live tree, however, you will harm it.

White birch are so pretty during the winter months and are often seeing growing in clusters such as this.

Birch trees are beautiful in their natural environments, but if you have a white birch tree that needs to come down for one reason or another, the logs can be used to dress up an empty fireplace, or as a vase, candle holder or centerpiece - giving your tree new life for years to come.

Images: 1 / 2 / 3 / 4 / 5

18 DAYS LEFT!

Does anyone else feel like this winter is never ending? Surprisingly (in Boston) the 2013-2014 season is not far from average in terms of snowfall and cold temperatures, but I can't wait for Spring to arrive. Sunshine, budding plants and trees, and longer days sound pretty good right about now!

beautiful winter photograph taken by our cousin, Colleen

CRANE JOB

Finally - cold weather with no snow! Perfect for back yard jobs. This week we had the pleasure of working for one of our cousins. He and his family recently moved to the Indian Ridge area of Andover and wanted to selectively remove a few larger trees to increase light and improve the overall health of their yard. Here are a few pictures on site.