Our good neighbor is putting a road in the woods on their property. He left one birch tree, smack in the middle of the new road, for us thinking we might want it for firewood. Absolutely! Never turn down free firewood.
Despite Papa Pea knowing how to make the cuts for a tree to fall where you want it to fall, this tree refused to come down. So to be on the safe side, while daughter and I stood watch a safe distance away, he went home to get our tractor to give the stubborn tree a little push.
That was the prod needed and the tree fell in the planned spot.
Papa Pea then limbed the tree while daughter and I loaded the trimmings into the back of our pickup.
While the man with the chainsaw cut the bigger branches and top portion of the tree into stove lengths, the two gals on the crew drove the truck up onto our ridge where we and our neighbor share a dumping spot for wood debris in a ravine. Here daughter is demonstrating that the branches come off a lot easier and quicker than they go on!
We loaded the cut pieces into the bucket of the tractor for transporting back home.
Lastly, all that remained to be cut was the main trunk. We planned to work it up on site. Cutting a log lying flat on the ground isn't a good idea because the chainsaw inevitably hits the dirt and that dulls the chain right away.
Daughter said she would lift the end while her dad slipped a piece of wood under the trunk to hold it up off the ground.
Plenty strong gal that she is, she couldn't budge it. Trees are heavy! (We agreed this not very flattering shot is graphic proof of how limber she is.)
Bashful Papa Pea didn't want to show his face.
Daughter and I drove the pickup home after unloading the last of the branches in our designated area while Papa Pea hooked the big log to the tractor and pulled it home. He jury-rigged it to the front of the tractor because he didn't want to pull it behind the tractor thinking it would make a gouge in the ground dragging it all the way.
It was a hot day and a hot chore, but worth it. With our crew of three mighty-muscled workers (!), it went well.
19 comments:
That's a bit of work, especially in the heat!! But birch is good firewood, so a real bonus for you! -Jenn
Jenn - Yes, and the tree was solid wood. Couldn't have been better.
We cut a few trees yesterday also. The birch was rotten in the middle so it was good we took it down before it took down the neighbors fence! But, my goodness, the heat and humidity around here the last few days has been unbearable. Hubby and I are raring to go on all the outdoor projects we have lined up. From the kitchen window it all looks doable but once we get out there the weather just saps all our enthusiasm and strength. Dreaming of the cool crisp days of autumn...
What an adventure! That is a lot of wood.
Boy, could I use Chicken Mama (and the rest of the Pea Clan) around here! What a lot of work - but a lot of great firewood too!
Elizabeth - I think we all reach a point in a hot, humid summer when we just say phooey to outside chores and waiting longingly for wonderful, cool fall weather. It's nearly 80° here today but we have an nice breeze and not much humidity. Makes it tolerable!
Dianna - A nice amount of wood and it didn't take that long (except for getting the darn tree to come down!) with the three of us working at it.
Susan - Send specific directions. We'll head out tomorrow! ;o}
Ohhhhhh mercy!!!!!
Gentle hugs,
She with a "dry socket"...
✨🍑✨
wisps of words - Oh, no! My daughter had a "dry socket" when she had her wisdom teeth extracted and I still remember how very miserable she was. Hope you can get that remedied AS SOON AS POSSIBLE! Hang in there. This, too, will pass. Hugs.
Many hands plus out of the box thinking makes hard work simpler.
J.L. Murphey - "Many hands" for sure is the way to go! (More fun, too, than slogging away at a job yourself!) That tall tree not wanting to go down even though it was cut nearly all the way through was a bit scary. (At least for me. :o\) Papa Pea has taken down a lot of trees and said he's never seen one balanced so perfectly like that. We were glad to have had the option of the tractor to get it to go down safely.
Hats off to all of you! that is hard work but you'll appreciate this winter while you're getting free heat and we're all paying big time for heat! LOL!
Is Papa Pea in the witness protection program not wanting his picture published? LOL! I admire strong women both mentally and physically and you and your daughter are both! Great teamwork!
Sam - Ha! That was the reason I was going to write under Papa Pea's picture on the tractor . . . that he's in the Witness Protection Program! ;o) Thanks for the compliment on strong women. I've always maintained my husband is the brains of this outfit and our daughter and I are the brawn! :o)
Good job Pea family!
I will be spoiled this year as I inherited at least two to three cords from my seller. Some split and some not. But I also inherited his wood splitter uptown this year I am!
Hi, Goatldi! Good to hear from you! Wow, nuthin' like inherited cords of wood . . . plus, a wood splitter to boot! We've had our wood splitter for over 20 years now and don't know how anyone who heats with wood lives without a good one. Oh, we did plenty of splitting by hand (I actually enjoyed it), but there are many others things I'd choose to do first!
After last winter I could maybe keep up with the Pea family. But I agree there is a mesmerizing quality to hand splitting. But don’t think I am giving up that log splitter any time soon 😂
Great teamwork!!!!
Nancy - You bet! Plus, having a third person to snap a couple of pictures makes it possible for more than one (!) person to be in the shot!!
Great job! You three make a good team ! So good to get free wood, but it sure is hard work!
Lynne - Well, you know what they say about wood warming you twice . . . Personally, I think it's more like 5 or 6 times!
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