Timber!

 

Our Sunday feat was this tree.  There was a dead elm tree at Keane's brother's that he wanted down.  It's a win/win -- they lose their dead elm, we gain firewood. 

 

 

 

 

 

Cutting wood has turned into quite the regular activity that we find ourselves doing every autumn/winter.  I suppose it isn't as much as an activity, but rather a chore that must be done as we warm our house with a wood stove and need the wood to stay warm.  It's always fun to be in the woods.  The kids explored along a path through the trees, I rested on the tailgate of the truck in the sun (until it was time for me to do some work, of course), while Keane methodically cut the tree down, and his brother supervised.

 

 

The tree fell slowly, pausing a few times, before it came crashing to the ground, making a loud rustle and thud.  There weren't too many limbs, and with ten hands and a tractor, the part of picking up sticks didn't take but ten minutes.  We put them all into a pile to make a bond fire for Keane's niece who turns sweet sixteen in December.

  

 

Keane's niece and I loaded the truck bed with as much wood would fit, and piled the rest to get later.  Keane's brother pulled some of the large limbs away from the tree with his tractor, so they will be easy to get to and cut up the next chance we get.