We were fortunate to get a little rain on Thursday evening, about an hours worth. It hadn’t rained in about a month so the cows and landscape were pleased. I would have been also, but when the rain moved in it came with a storm that chose to remind us of just how powerful maw nature can be.
I had three trees adjacent to the gated entry to the farm. Now I have two trees and a big mess. The photo above is entry (detail below). The tree still sanding on the right and the one that was snapped off are/were deciduous. A tall pine still stands just out of frame on the left.
The gate is in the background and the trunk of the tree that blew over is at the tip of the red arrow. Here (below) is is another view. Again, the red arrow points at where tree trunk broke off.
This final picture provides a reference (the Jeep) that hints at the size of the tree: both trees were identical in size.
The good/bad news story is:
–Good: had the tree fallen the other way it would have taken out the (electric) gate and a good stretch of barbed wire fencing.
–Bad: when it snapped parts of it fell into the adjacent tree (didn’t come completely down) and has embedded its limbs into the adjacent canopy. If you interlock your fingers (like the cops sometimes respectfully request you do) you can see what a challenge it is to clean out the dead-fall.
They say that ‘chance favors the prepared mind’ and as fortune would have it I had just received the two new chainsaw blades I’d ordered from Amazon (thanks Jeff!) . I have (had) a gallon of 50:1 fuel mixed and a gallon of bar/chain oil. All of these essentials support a Husqvarna 460 Rancher with a 20″ bar.
As it turns out the hard part is not making little sticks out of big sticks, it’s placing all of the little sticks onto the 12 foot trailer and hauling them off one of the eight burn piles I’ve been assembling. 5 hour of work in 100 degree temps yesterday have reduced the problem by half. Today’s weather promise to be much more accommodating.
I’ll get after it again this morning and hopefully have it wiped out by the time Alabama shows us how It’s new head coach is working out.