Timber!

Our elderly neighbor had a couple of big old cottonwoods, overgrown with ivy, that have been ominously leaning over our barn, shop, and hogcken coopen for the last two years since we have owned the farm. We finally got around to chatting with him about it, and worked out a deal to get a local tree company to come in and take them down.

By the way, if you are local, can’t recommend Canzler Tree service enough. Great family owned business, fair prices, quick and competent work. This is the third time we’ve worked with them on the farm and they are legit.

First step was the night before, going in with axes and machetes to clear a path through the young cottonwoods and the blackberries to get to the base of the tree.

It was good, hard man work, the kind Seppi loves.

He comes of two long lines of hard-working men, so it’s in his blood, you might say.

The triumph!

The next day we escorted Mr. Canzler and his guys out to the site, and were pleased to note the lane we had cut them was plenty big enough. They were able to get the boom truck right in position. Then we went back to our side of the fence to watch.

While they trimmed the brush, Seppi and Daddy put our new bush blade from Baronyx knife company on our scythe snath that we got from Papa’s shop.

Having a vise, even a cheap one like this, on the work bench makes so many jobs so much easier.

The special grind edge was beautiful, with just a trace of a burr, easily stropped off with a few minutes of work. Then let me tell you, that baby was SHARP!

We took a few minutes and knocked down all the poison hemlock (again) and then, since that was so much fun, we cut down all the milkweed, ragweed, yarrow and thistle around the mulch pile and the driveway.

We accidentally cut down a volunteer sunflower as well.

Almost lunch time, and they had successfully gotten the entire tree cleared enough to get a rope around the upper half, and access the base. The kids enjoyed the show while playing “Indian” (are kids allowed to play that anymore? They were pretending they were foraging for food and making it into “soups” and “breads.”

No, they don’t actually eat any of the weeds they harvest. But meanwhile, Winne was out actually foraging for food.

Gorging on the gooseberries!

After lunch they got working on the second tree.

Until next time!