Day 67 - There was a bit of a wind yesterday. All the trees around the house jostled and swayed in the breeze. Suddenly, we heard a loud crack as a coconut fell and broke a roof tile. That was okay, as a pile of replacement clay tiles sit behind the house.
It indicated that it was time to call the tree pulling guy though.
Coconut trees hardly ever grow straight. Near the shoreline, coconuts are one of the only trees that grow into the wind. And in a tropical wooded lot, they will seek a sure footing for their roots and grow towards an area with the most direct sunlight. This usually makes them appear as if they are growing every which way.
The Minuwangoda house is on a relatively small lot, yet has twenty coconut trees growing around. Sri Lankans use a whole lot of coconuts in their cooking. Each tree produces about 10 to 15 coconuts every couple of months. This is more than is needed for Jay's sisters and gifts for neighbours, so his younger sister sells off the excess and gets around SR 85 ($US 0.45) each nowadays. A buyer comes and collects a few hundred at a time in a truck and gives cash.
Today, an older guy arrived on a scooter with bundles of wire and a winch. He re-wired a number of trees and added one completely new wire after inspecting the property. The wires run from supporting host trees to the top of the one needing a change. The tree is pulled until the wires are taut and the tree is in the desired, new position.
The wires have to be moved every few years so that the supporting tree can remain healthy. In the picture below you will note the old scar under today's replacement.
