It's gonna be a working day here at the halls... got a big oak I wanna turn into British thermal units.Had a dying leaner just off the new bush road that started calling out to me the other day. If I don't drop and split it now... it'll likely fall on its own over winter and start composting in very short order.
Took the better part of an hour to get it dropped all the way to the ground... the crown got hung up in the neighbouring trees... but it'll be a big part of next years wood supply.
Gotta buck her into lengths and fire up the splitter.
Later amigos.
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UPDATE: Forget about Pilates... get a chainsaw
Just back from the back... and it was a pretty good day.
Mr. Oak has been completely felled and bucked into 20 inch rounds. I also policed up the entire area, getting rid of the slash and the less desirable scrub. It's incredibly tedious to do the cleanup as I go... but I figure it's an investment that'll pay off in spades someday. Taking out the less worthy stuff allows the best trees to have the best possible growing conditions.
It occurs to me here... I always seem to overestimate how far I'm gonna get... there's invariably a bit of tricky business I didn't seem to anticipate.
Today it was a 35 foot aspen trunk that had been sheared off by the arc of the falling oak. This severed section was leaning precariously, almost perfectly vertical, right beside my project du jour. I ended up blowing away about 40 minutes on this one piece alone, alternately cutting and pulling with my come-along before it gave over and crashed to the ground. Better safe than sorry.
Speaking of safety.. I've also started wearing a helmet when I get into the trickier stuff... it'd just be too stupid to have my skull fractured by a falling branch.
Mrs Neo's also been after me about safety chaps... which would, I suppose, be a good idea.
Tomorrow will be a splittin' day.
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