WRAPPING UP SUMMER

The spruce bark beetles have done a lot of damage around here and three huge, mature spruce absolutely needed to be taken down before they fell on the building where my friend Julie lives.   Because they were so close to the building, I called a professional logger in to do the job.

The spruce right behind the house need to come down before the wind blows them down.

Too close for comfort.

Julie and I were standing by with truck and trailer to get  the slash out of the way as Chad Leaders felled the trees.    

The first, and largest tree is down and Chad (in the blue hard hat) is limbing it.

The first load of six  on the way to the brush dump site.

The top of the tree went across the driveway and Chad cut it to length there.

He hooked a chain on the trunk and dragged the tree out of the forest, where he bucked it up.

Those big rounds?   I could barely roll them across the grass.

Another load on its way.

Chad falls the last of the three trees.

Attired in my finest work cloths.   Loose fitting (too big) with a sweat band and visor.

I am astonished at the sheer size of the largest tree's stump.   It is immense for this part of Alaska.

Chad finished up and Julie and I got me set up for splitting wood, even though we were both wiped out after loading, hauling, and unloading six loads of slash.  I can no longer pull the cord with enough authority to get the splitter started, so Julie started it (first pull of course) and left me to my fun.

I split a trailer load, which measured almost 3/4 of a cord once I got it stacked in the woodshed the next morning.

While all this was going on, Julie spotted a couple mushrooms growing on a birch branch 12 to 15 feet off the ground.

The mushrooms are on the branch to the left the center of the photo.

The next day, I got another trailer load of wood split and stacked in the shed.

That evening I posted a notice in the Moose Pass Community Facebook page asking for help with the logs I'd dragged home from a brush-dumping site.   I can no longer get my beloved chainsaw started or I would do it myself.

The morning of the third day of dealing with firewood arrived and JD,. Jen, and 10-year-old Ruby arrived  to help with the wood.  The saw started right up for JD and soon he was nearing the end of the project.   Jen helped by moving cut wood away, and placing logs for JD to saw.

Ruby loaded the smaller wood that didn't need splitting in the worn-out garden cart.

That cart is held together (barely) with plastic zip ties.

We took a break and I got to know the Boyles a bit better.   I enjoyed that very much.

With only a few more cuts to make, disaster struck.   My chainsaw was unable to run properly.   It had served me well for decades, but now it was giving up its last.

I went to the garage and got a different saw, one I call the Never -Start Easy- Start Stihl.   It's another pull-start tool that won't start for me.   

JD finished up and the three of them went on their way.   I went home for a break.   My shoulder joints were on fire and I was tired.   I took a three hour nap and then messaged Julie to see if she was home and could start the splitter for me.

Her message back:  "It's all split. Trailer is FULL and waiting for you."

ZOWIE!! Julie and Katy had split the remaining wood from the trees, which were the very largest rounds. And, they split the wood that JD and Jen had sawed to length.

To say I was thrilled is not doing it justice. I bounced with up to the woodshed and emptied the trailer-load.

I
I've unloaded about half of it.

The last and final day of this project, I ran my lawn mover over the areas where we had been working, bagging sawdust, chips, and tiny branches.   We had already raked, loaded, and hauled  the big stuff.

One final load of debris and some brush I cut along my driveway, and I was done with firewood and unsafe trees for the season.    Hopefully I now have enough wood for three to four winters.

All my profound thanks to Chad Leaders, Julie, Katie, JD, Jen, and Ruby.    I could not have done it without you.

Likewise to Barry for bringing me wood earlier in the summer and to Mary and Shawn Macdonald for splitting and stacking it.  

I get by with A LOT of help from my friends.

And I learned something:   The hardest part about not being able to do certain things any longer is admitting that to yourself.