Giant trees down

Three weeks ago, five minutes after the tornado watch expired, we had dangerous southern winds slaying enormous trees: a 60+ foot white, grey and green Sycamore and a Hickory with a 5’ diameter trunk that young men were able to walk on in the air. A giant shade tree tipped over - roots and all. Another oak fell across Hudsonville road. That day there were trees blocking all directions to us and our neighbours on Hwy 7, South Slayden, Duckpond Road and Hudsonville Road.

Sunday, after neighbours returned from church, I helped our friend trim and drop 4 large oaks in the middle of his chickens, opossum, and rescue camel. One sixty footer was threatening a sitting Turkey. I thought of ways to weaken the trunks to let them finish their descent without hurting us. And my biggest mistake from the top of a ladder, pushed the ladder back as the skyward portion fell away. I realised again how precarious life is. It was a day of physics.

Then the Wednesday before the Passover, a heavy wall of sideways rain from the west took tops of trees and crashed two oaks across the fence and road. I tried to relieve pressure on the taught wire fence before leaving town.

Today I learned to use a new pole chainsaw. I’m 1/3 done with the fence trees not pressing the fence.

Taking pigs this week to the processor. Some persons. A lot of people just asking what meat we’ll have. I am an optimist. Pogress continues.

Relaxing Transport Familial Tastings

Our good friend Kyle visited today. Before I started writing, I asked him for a couple words to describe today. A good feeling can be difficult to adequately describe. He said, “relaxing” and “like we’ve been a lot of places and brought it back” and “we’ve been tasting.” Thus the title. He and Grant were bottling and waiting for NCAA conference basketball games, but mostly talking. We tasted the fermented fruit rinds, Kyle’s meade, Grant’s Meade, Grant’s and a home brewed double fermented dark lager, and then one of the best scotches I’ve ever had. We don’t want to share the name, because there were several types by the same distillers, and now we’re having trouble finding the favorites. And the prices are really getting up there.

We froze Friday night at 36 degrees while cutting off water for the animals and then waking up to 20 degrees. Today is sun and a perfect day for the fire pit. I have cured hickory, but, they want to go collect limbs and logs. I know that means walking, talking and creating a more interesting fire. After the snow that we had, they won’t find much dry. I offered to chainsaw some logs. They told me to just relax today. I enjoy the challenge of trying to get some wood from a giant white oak felled by a tornado a couple of years ago. It is so huge that my attempts to cut through the trunk looks like someone was playing Tetris. Eventually I will make it through. It is very heavy, deeper than my blade, and balanced up off of the ground so I have to be careful.

Thankfully, the grass peeks out every time the sun does.