Around Surrey Township the soil turns sandy and the woods turn to jack pine and popple — this is where downstate quits and the north begins. Timber Tree Service of Mid Michigan LLC takes down the leaners and the widow-makers on those wooded lots, and does the trimming and pruning that keeps a driveway open under a heavy snow load. February is when weak wood tells on itself; storm damage cleanup after an ice night means brush stacked, the two-track opened, and a roof out from under a broken crown. The good part is standing back at the end and seeing the light come through where it has not in years. Surrey Township, Farwell, Clare, Lake George and Harrison.