The moment I saw the graphic this morning, I was transported to high-school biology class. The US Forest Service Facebook page posted a cross-section of a typical tree, with each part labeled.
Xylem. Phloem. It all came flooding back.
That image also reminded me that even though it’s only the end of May, I haven’t done a single solitary thing to prepare for next wood-harvesting season. Leaving it all ’til the last minute would be dumb.
Getting started now and knocking out a little bit at a time would be smarter. I backed the Silverado down to the shed, dropped the tailgate/workbench and pulled out my most-used chainsaw.
The 20V DeWalt basically needed a tune-up and a thorough cleanup. I began with the latter, knowing what awaited me under the drive cover.
After digging out the crud, I sprayed the whole saw with WD-40 and wiped it down, then dressed the bar with a flat file. I put everything back together, did a preliminary chain adjustment and sharpened the cutters.
In that photo, you can see (if you know what you’re looking at) that the rakers are still too high. I took care of that with the flat file.
Adjust the chain to the proper tension. Top-off the bar oil. Slap in a battery and make a few test cuts — perfect.
One saw down, two to go, plus the rest of my woodsworking tools. It’s a start.
Our “porch” down by the shed has become a good spot to listen and look for wildlife. Yesterday afternoon, for example, Smudge and I were surprised by a raspy “bark” southeast of us — heard but not seen, a gray fox.
While working on the saw this morning, I heard the sound of wings approaching the shed. Big wings. At first I thought it was a hawk, but no — a bald eagle, no doubt on his way to fish Crooked Creek, lit for just an instant in an oak right above me.
That was inspiring.
Most of what I see is smaller, of course, arguably somewhat less grand. Like this cute little bugger:
That’s an emerald jumping spider (Paraphidippus aurantius), aka golden jumping spider. This looks to be a young male of the species, less than a quarter-inch long. The photo doesn’t do justice to the colors.
Take care of yourselves, Patriots. Stay calm. Stay sharp. Stay free.
#WiseUp #LibertyOrDeath #Ungovernable