I'm A Lumberjack And I'm OK!

I spent the better part of the afternoon, cutting up trees. A young pine on the road out in front of my house, had been stressed beyond it's capacity by the load of snow it had to carry in our last winter snow storm. The poor thing was bent over like an old person with kyphosis. I had hoped that once the snow melted and the weight was off her back, she would straighten up and regain her once proud stature, but it was not to be. Instead she continued to sink further towards the ground, until I could reach up and grab her very crown. She was hopelessly crippled, and sadly had to be euthanized. I hate to kill a tree. I hate to kill anything, but living out in the woods for the last 17 years has taught me some cruel lessons. Kill the trees that threaten the house. Kill the mice that invade, and multiply like.....well.......you know, mice. Kill, or at least trap and relocate the feral toms, that come around and spray your house, and bully your innocent little domesticated tabby, and eat his food. Kill the incubating larvae of wasps and hornets, and spiders that make their nests under your eaves, and behind your shutters. Today's killing however, was not for survival, it was a mercy killing. Although 30-40 ft tall, she was only a little over 6 inches in diameter. There was no way she would ever recover from the trauma she suffered, and her slow continuous slumping towards the ground long after the snow had melted, was an admission that while still alive, she was defeated. So she is no more. Her sinews having been dissected and cast upon the compost pile to decay, and return her essence to the ground from whence she sprang, to once again nourish new growth.

Once the pine on the road had been dispatched, there were others that need dissecting. The two that fell against the house had been removed a couple of weeks ago, but were never completely dismembered, so I went to work on what was left of them, and cut them into bits with my trusty 30" bow saw. Now, all that was left was the huge branch that broke off a much older 60-70 ft. pine in the back yard. As the branch broke, its forked end fell to the ground below, but the part that was attached to the tree, remained up there, resting in the shoulder of a dead branch. It is huge, and weighs way too much for me to shake it lose. The end of the branch resting against the tree, is a good fifteen feet up. I cut off all of the side branches that were not supporting its weight, with my bow saw, but without a chainsaw, I didn't want to risk anymore dismemberment, for fear of the dead branch breaking and sending it's considerable weight down on me, and flattening me like the the wicked witch of the east, in which case I would end up not just merely dead, but really most sincerely dead!


Doing it all with a hand held bow saw was truly a work out, and even though the temperature was in the low fifties today, when I was done, I was soaking wet with sweat. I guess my next big expense, is to go to Lowe's, or Home Depot, and purchase another new chainsaw. You really can't get by without one, when you are surrounded by so many trees.

Like many others here, I feel a profound sense of sadness after reading that Lori intends to end her blog. She has been such a sweet inspirational presence here, and I am going to miss her dearly. Goodbye Lauren, and best of luck to you, as you forge a new life for yourself with your wonderful family! Thank you for all of the wonderful support you have given everyone during your time here! Please come back from time to time, and drop a line on the blogs of all of those who love you!




Hears a picture of what the pond looks like from my deck with all the leaves off the trees. In a little over a month, the pond will be obscured by all of the new leaves.



It's 11:30 PM and only 42∘outside right now, but after just stepping out on the deck,I can tell for sure that spring has arrived, by the incessant croaking of our amphibious friends in the swampy creek that feeds the pond. Fall is marked by the honking arrival of Canada geese, and spring by the croaking of the frogs. I used to look forward to the return of the geese, but after last winter, I think I'll take the frogs.

Melissa XX