Groton Couple Takes On Massive Cleanup After Hurricane Sandy

Ruth and Alan Winslow knew how the giant maple was going to fall.

Everytime the wind blew, they saw their lawn pull up and ripple, like a wave. So they stood at their front door on Xenia Court and watched.

"Not a good tree to plant close to anything," said Ruth Winslow, 62.

On Tuesday, they spent six hours, or perhaps eight, gathering branches and limbs with the help of relatives and a neighbor who had a chain saw. In exchange for his work, they're giving him the wood.

The tree didn't take out much, but they're front lawn and a chain link fence. But it's a good sized tree, so they were back at it Wednesday.

"We're healthy," said Winslow, as she gathered limbs and tossed them into a pickup to take the the dump. Alan Winslow, 60, agreed. They don't want to pay someone to do work they can do themselves.

It was still a blow, even though they feel they're fortunate.

"I did cry about it yesterday," Ruth Winslow said.

"If this is the worst that happens," Alan Winslow said, "We're lucky."