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& A rborists
November/December 2023
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(860) 888-8472
A WARM HOLIDAY MESSAGE From One Neighbor to Another
A Holiday Message As the holidays roll around, we reflect on the many reasons we have to be thankful. At the top of our list are the families we have had the privilege of serving over the years. The relationships we have built go beyond business — you’ve become like our next-door neighbors. We carry your trust and support in our heart, and hope your holidays are filled with the warmth of your loved ones. We continue to stay local with our mindset, so if you have a commercial tree project for a spiritual or youth organization, we are mission-driven to offer discounts for these organizations. If you are a homeowner and have a preexisting service quote from the summer, we can revisit it with our best winter rate. The weather in New England changes on a whim. In the winter weather, you can count on Trout Brook Arborists. Remember, we give priority service when there is a tree fallen on a house.
We can help navigate “tree-involved” insurance claims with proper write-ups to help recover costs for trees that destroyed fences, services wires, and roofs. Did You Know? El Niño Alert At Trout Brook Arborists we love our local news anchor celebrities because when we do work for them, they can give us insider rumors. We have heard whispers that this year will be a major El Niño year, due to warm eastern Pacific water temperatures. It’s still unverified, but I have enough confidence to say this could mean extra precipitation and an increased risk of New England ice storms! To mitigate this risk, I recommend winter pruning.
From a multiple tree removal project for St Thomas Church on Dec. 12
Why prune your trees in the winter?
Winter has a bad reputation as the season when nature stops. Many people associate it with barren landscapes and dormant trees. However, for an arborist, “dormant season” best time
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OUTDOOR SURVIVAL TIPS EVERY WINTER SPORTS LOVER SHOULD KNOW
2. Protect your lungs from the cold. Breathe through your nose and cover your mouth with a scarf or other clothing. These steps will warm the air you breathe, prevent shortness of breath, and keep your core temperature up. 3. Melt snow before you eat it. You might be tempted to eat snow if you feel thirsty, but this can have a dangerous effect on your body temperature. Instead, melt the snow into water before consuming it. Ideally, you have a water bottle or canteen with you. Fill it with snow, slide it inside your jacket, and wait for your body heat to melt the snow. These tips aren’t a substitute for the basics like staying home in bad weather, wearing layers, packing survival gear, and learning to build a fire. But they can help you stay warm until help arrives!
Whether you love to hike, ski, snowboard, or simply live in a cold climate, you need to learn how to protect yourself from frostbite and hypothermia. You never know when you might be caught outside in frigid temperatures! Here are a few tips to remember in case you find yourself in a dangerous situation. 1. Find or build a wind shelter. Icy wind can slice through even the warmest winter gear and quickly sap your body heat. If you’re stuck outside in an urban area, you can shelter behind a wall. Some survivalists even recommend emptying a large trash can and climbing inside until the weather dies down because plastic is a great insulator. (Fun fact: Winter cyclists wear plastic “socks” over or under their real socks to protect their feet from the cold.)
Trees can provide a natural wind shelter in the wilderness, or you can build a snow cave in a snowy, treeless area. Pile the snow around you into a drift, then burrow inside to protect yourself from the wind. Dig all the way to the ground if you can, and block most of the entrance to your cave with whatever you have on hand — a backpack, pine boughs, or more snow.
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Cutting damaged pine trees at MDC Farmington ave reservoir Dec. 1
Increased Sunlight Exposure Pruning during the dormant season opens the canopy, allowing more sunlight to reach the lower branches and the ground. This is especially beneficial for grass and other ground cover.
to prune trees for their overall health and recovery and for future structural growth. 4 Benefits of Winter Pruning Removing dead or diseased branches in winter promotes vigorous and healthy spring growth. It’s also easier to spot decay issues without the cover of leaves.
Improved Aesthetic Appeal Pruning in the winter allows you to shape your trees according to your desired look. Prevent Overgrowth Certain species of trees are prone to overgrowth. Winter pruning keeps them in check and ensures they don’t outgrow their designated spaces in your yard.
Enhanced Safety Dead or weak branches are more likely to break and fall during winter storms, posing a safety hazard. Winter pruning reduces this risk by removing these vulnerable branches.
For our best rates on winter pruning, call (860) 888-8472. Happy New Year’s from the Trout Brook Team.
–Andrew Bachman CT Arborist S6222
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TAKE A BREAK
As winter approaches, ensuring your home is prepared for the colder months is essential. One often overlooked but crucial task is cleaning your gutters before heavy snow. After all, autumn leaves have fallen and tend to collect in gutters along with sticks and other debris, creating a clogged mess. Clogged gutters can cause harmful ice dams, structural damage, water damage, and more. WINTER’S WRATH An Expert Explains Why Gutter Cleaning Matters PROTECT YOUR HOME FROM
What can be done? Let’s ask Andrew, one of our experts!
CHICKEN, LEEK, AND BLUE CHEESE PILAF Inspired by BBCGoodFood.com
Q: Why should you clean your gutters? Andrew: Over time, water from a clogged gutter causes mold and water damage to the roof, eves, and the fascia, which is the board behind the gutters. If water is not channeled away from the house, it ends up next to the foundation and in the basement. The weight of trapped water threatens to bend and twist the gutter.
Ingredients
• 2 1/2 cups water • 1/2 cup brown basmati rice • 2 tsp vegetable bouillon powder • 1 bay leaf
breasts, chopped • 1 leek, thinly sliced • 2 zucchini, thinly sliced • 1 cup frozen peas • 4 walnut halves, broken • 1/4 cup crumbled Gorgonzola cheese
• 1 tsp grapeseed oil • 2 skinless chicken
Directions 1. In a large pot, add water, rice, bouillon powder, and bay leaf. Cover, bring to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer for 20 minutes. 2. Meanwhile, in a large frying pan, heat oil and stir-fry chicken over medium-high heat until just cooked. Remove from pan, then fry leek until soft. Add zucchini, stir-fry for a few minutes more, then add peas. 3. When the rice is cooked, add it and any liquid from the pot to the vegetables. Return chicken to the pan, then cover and cook for 5 minutes more. Stir in walnuts and cheese and serve hot.
Q: What does the gutter cleaning process look like? Andrew: We clean gutters with a handheld blower and rely upon hand tools and gloves. We guarantee to check all of the downspouts and runoff chutes. For hard-to-reach areas, we utilize a boom truck. Fall gutter cleaning is $190–$265 for regular-sized homes, depending on style and size. For a free gutter cleaning estimate over the phone, text (860) 888-8472.
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69 TALCOTT RD. WEST HARTFORD, CT 06110 WWW.TROUTBROOKTREE.COM (860) 888-8472
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& A rborists
INSIDE
THIS ISSUE
1 Have Gratitude in Abundance This Holiday Season 2 3 Tips for Surviving Freezing Temperatures 3 Why Gutter Cleaning Matters Chicken, Leek, and Blue Cheese Pilaf 4 December Book Club
DECEMBER BOOK CLUB: Venture Into History Through the Eyes of Hometown Hero Noah Webster
This is one of my favorites and I’m rereading it right now. The comparison of the politics of 220 years ago to today’s geopolitical environment and social issues is astonishing. Author Harlow Unger paints a portrait of the U.S. as a divided young country, when relations with Napoleanic France and an aggressive British Empire were fragile and the future unclear. Noah Webster loyally defended the unity of the new Republic by influencing public opinion, but he was slandered by friend and foe alike. Unger chronicles Webster’s breathtaking adventures — from the American Revolution to the War of 1812 — while also masterfully showcasing the scholarship of a singularly American mindset. Noah Webster was a remarkable man, learned and energetic, God-fearing and patriotic. He was always busy with important work that supported his nation and community. He touched the lives of the most renowned Americans and the poorest. He earned the love and friendship of many,
the hatred of some, but the respect of all. Noah Webster helped create far more than an American dictionary; he helped create an American nation. More than a lexicographer, Webster was a philosopher, orator,
political leader, public official, and crusading editor. Webster’s life thrust him into every major event of the early history of our nation.
Harlow Unger restores Webster’s monumental legacy as the original “social media influencer” and the most patriotic civil servant in our early local and national history.
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