Big woods

September 1, 2007 (7:06am)

49º F, Partly Cloudy, Calm Wind, 0 mph.

Good morning,

So .... another month starts. Looks to be a beautiful start to it too, judging my the weather. Looks to be pretty nice for the next few days too. There is a 20% chance of some showers tomorrow though. Other than dry most of the summer, at least in total rainfall, it has been a beautiful summer this year in this place. Only a couple days of really hot weather, the rest rather comfortable.

The gas line for the range is now in. All that is left if to receive the range and I can install it. I remodeled the main line a bit to change direction of the new connection and in the process made the connections a bit more tolerant of weather conditions. We did stop at the appliance store yesterday afternoon to see if the range had come in - it didn’t. So now it will probably be next week before it arrives. Probably late in the week too, as that appears to be the route of the trucking company. Guess we will survive until then. Margriet is doing an excellent job of keeping meat on my bones without the new range.

At about sundown last night, I went cruising in the woods to mark trees to be cut. Two categories, firewood and lumber. I stayed pretty close to the existing trails, marking only those which are within reach conveniently. After those trees are gone, I will work farther into the woods. Also marked a bunch around the houses to be cut too. The more or less dead/dying trees will be the first to drop to the saw. I think I have marked enough for this winter’s need, after what we already have on hand is gone. There is enough firewood standing to last us forever.

To the west of the main house is an opening in the trees. Looks like it had been a landing for a logging operation many years ago. In the clearing, the grasses and berry bushes have grown to almost eyeball height. There also are many, many deer beds in the opening. I will need to check that out further in a couple of months. Some of the deer trails going from it and in other places in the woods, are wide enough to drive an ATV through. I can’t remember of seeing a yard and trails like that in many years - anywhere. Hope they will bear fruit. Or is that venison?

There are some really huge trees that need to come down. A couple that probably will be about all my big chainsaw can handle. There is one huge maple that I am not sure how I will drop, but will beat on it with a sharp instrument anyway. If I can, I will see if I can get some lumber from it, but it might be too old and hollow to cut that much from. The maples around here seem to grow in clumps, with the trunks almost joining. Some do join some distance from the ground. That should be a challenge to cut down!

One area has a very nice new growth of white birch coming. Most are broomstick to a couple inches in diameter at the moment. It will be a few years before they can be harvested, but it sure looks good for the future. I do like birch to work with and as firewood - if it’s not lumber quality. There also are some yellow birch scattered through the woods too. Hope more will come. That also is an excellent wood.

Most of the trees are various kinds of pine. Some of those are also huge and will make very good lumber I think. I thought the pines at FISKLAND were large, some of the pines here are much bigger. Some of the larger ones need to be harvested before they start to die and become useless. The trees are also many places where the trees are too dense and need to be thinned. It is those trees I will probably get the most lumber from. Snow on the ground will make it much easier to get around the woods than now. I don’t think I will run out of wood to cut here - ever. Sure will be glad to have the Fjord to help haul them. This is a whole different ball game than at FISKLAND - this is really the “big woods” compared to the plantation at FISKLAND!

Time to get a-going.

In Christ My Saviour,

Chris <><