You think I talk a lot about the weather? Well, y’all oughta be in Ozarkansas right now — a winter storm rollin’ outta Texas is all the buzz ’round here. Maybe it’s ’cause we missed out on last week’s snowmageddon, but folks are hopin’, beggin’ to get walloped by White Stuff come tomorrow.
The way it looks now, though, The Mountain probably won’t see much — an inch or two, possibly four. The heaviest snow is being forecast for the central part of the state, from the Ouachita Mountains to the Mississippi River, with as much as eight inches predicted.
Snow’s a big deal in Ozarkansas. I’m lookin’ forward to it, too, even if it’s only decorative.
I aimed to be productive today. There wasn’t much I could do in the cabin right now, so once again I turned my attention to next winter’s firewood — it has to be done. Still, I wanted a different challenge than the roadside oak I’d been tackling lately.
The path we cut from behind the cabin toward the summit dumps out at the base of Deb’s cousin’s tree stand. Several yards downslope from there, a large, wind-downed limb partially blocked the trail.
I discovered it while out walking in early December, dropping a Gaia GPS pin so I could come back and harvest it later. When I approached it this frosty morning, I saw why I’d done that — this thing was meaty, definitely worth some effort.
After pruning it (I kept some of that branch wood, of course), I was left with a “leaner”:
The difference between a leaner and a widowmaker is in how it comes down. (Well, that and a widow.) This one looked harmless enough, but I assessed it carefully and plotted my moves deliberately.
The big oak limb wasn’t under any spring tension that I could see, but it was hung up in a neighboring hickory. When I cut it, I wanted the section on the ground to fall and roll away from me. Fortunately, I’d brought along our DeWalt pole saw, which gave me a margin of safety.
I made my cut about eight feet off the ground. The top stayed snagged in that hickory, while the rest did exactly what I wanted it to do. And it laid down in the perfect position for bucking.
That, right there, is why I came back to this tree. Excellent haul.
I’d parked the Ranger as close as I could, maybe 40 yards away. Ten armloads later, the bed was loaded, and I trucked it down to the wood yard.
The whole process took just an hour. What it produced — 14 splittable rounds five to nine inches in diameter, plus branch wood for kindling and coaling — will heat the cabin for two days next winter. Maybe a bit longer than that.
Besides, it was a great day to be out in these winter woods before the snow comes. Being productive was just a bonus.
Take care of yourselves, Patriots. Stay calm. Stay sharp. Stay free.
#WiseUp #LibertyOrDeath #Ungovernable
#LetsGoBrandon #FJB