Day of Logging

Oooh, oooh, oooh! I learned something new today. I went with the Men’s Ministries team bright and early today to Cut down problem trees at our Campground. I am very good at stacking wood. Though I am finding it harder and harder to convince myself to do a full day of manual labor.

I did my normal brush clearing and stacking wood most of the morning and then one of our lumberjacks said the magic phrase. “Hey Pastor, do you want to cut down the next tree?” Me who has never operated a chain saw in my life, cut down a tree? I was so excited I think I could have pushed the tree over with my bare hands.

So we hiked over to the next section and decided which tree was going first. Then he put the HUGE chainsaw in my hand and showed me how to cut the first wedge. The very first thing I noticed was that the huge chainsaw was really heavy. The next thing I noticed was that if I put the wedge at the wrong angle my first tree was going to be “felled” right across the campground gym. So with fear and trembling arms I cut the wedge. Then from the other side I made the straight cut and ……. drum roll please …. the tree fell right where it was supposed to. Then I got to cut down the next two trees as well.

I discovered several things. First of all it was really fun to be doing something so totally different than my everyday life. Second of all, I do not have the upper body strength to do more than 2-3 cuts with the big logging chain saws. Perhaps I need to look at some smaller chainsaws that I could operate for our next logging outing. I am pretty sure that I can find stuff to cut down. ….. They just might have created a logging monster. Oh well, you know I have a dead cedar tree in the back yard. Perhaps it is time for me to cut it down? Hhhmmmm …..

Just Connie