I want to apologize for not getting a better photo of yesterday’s sunset.
The images I’m sharing here capture its beauty, sure. But the blazing color I saw with my own eyes had disappeared by the time I raised my phone to take a picture, just seconds later.
Timing is everything. These shots will have to do.
The next carpentry project I’ll tackle on the cabin will be our “propane shed” — a small shelter that’ll house three 30-pound LP tanks (but capable of accommodating 40-pounders as well). This morning I calculated dimensions and took inventory of materials we have on-hand.
It’ll be mounted directly to the cabin’s back wall. I’m figuring four feet wide, five feet tall (at the front), and 18 inches deep. A raised platform will hold the trio of active tanks (one for the stove, two for the water heater), and I’ll leave space below to store idle 20-pounders (gas grill, space heater, flamethrower, generator).
I’ll need to make a lumber run tomorrow or Friday. Rough-sawn cedar, most likely.
Later, to take a break of sorts, I ran the buggy up to Dancing Tree. I wanted to take a closer, more critical look at three of four wind-downed oaks I intend to harvest this winter.
The easiest one to bring out, and the closest to a spot where I can drive the Ranger, is only a large limb. It’s completely on the ground.
Pretty straightforward.
The second carries a higher degree of difficulty. It’s the entire crown of a red oak that snapped from the trunk and came to rest almost vertically.
A lot of good firewood there.
Yeah, it’s a leaner, and a damned big one. I could be wrong, but none of it appears to be under spring tension. I’ll approach it as if it is, of course.
The third isn’t far from the first, and it’ll be the toughest of the bunch. It’s a half-crown that looks to me like it split, twisted and hung up about ten feet high on the trunk.
I believe it’s still attached.
I expect to run a winch line from the Ranger and, from a safe distance, pull it free. That’s the plan, anyway.
In related news, recently I’ve seen some nasty (and preventable) head injuries suffered by people doing this sort of tree work. I’ll be appropriately cautious. And a hard hat should be here later this week.
To give myself room to operate (and escape, if need be), I’ll prune all three trees before getting down to business.
I’m also toying with the idea of stacking the bucked lengths (to start seasoning) right there where I harvest them. I’ve done that before — dropping nearby small cedars and using them as runners to hold firewood off the ground — but on a smaller scale.
I’d probably haul the biggest chunks down to the wood yard for splitting. We’ll see what I end up with.
Deb refers to my woodcutting labors as “lumberjack stuff.” Honestly, I can’t tell if that’s a dig or if she’s only being playful.
I’m okay either way.
Actually, I’m a lot better than just okay. Not long ago, I read about a study — and yes, this is a real thing — which found that engaging in “lumberjack stuff” raises a man’s testosterone level by almost 47%. That’s a whopping 17% higher than any of the competitive sports that were studied.
So guys, if you feel more manly when you’re swingin’ an axe, it ain’t your imagination — it’s science!
Take care of yourselves, Patriots. Stay calm. Stay sharp. Stay free.
#WiseUp #LibertyOrDeath #Ungovernable
#LetsGoBrandon #FJB
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