An Old Woman's First Day of Spring
(Saturday March 20, 2010)
Spring is in the air, the peonies are peeking above the ground, and it looks like our winter hibernation is about over. No more loafing around. (Well...maybe). We have stacks of white fir to mill into lumber, and they're green and heavy. Mel's tractor could hardly lift this one onto the mill. Kind of a preview of things to come. Eight years ago (at 70) I was teetering on the porch roof painting the eves, and thinking, "What's this old woman doing up here?" Pulling green chain at the sawmill didn't seem as bad. When I learned how to avoid smashed fingers, this work is actually good for me. The same is true for Mel.
The 2x19x6.5 on the forks was a killer. The heavy sap laden boards feel like they're stuck to the bed rails when you try to move them.
These will be 2"x 6" boards. Not too bad for me to handle.
The 2x6's aren't that hard to handle.
Groan....This is that 2x19 I'm standing up against the stakes. Mel will edge it and then cut a 2x4 and 2x12 from it.
More groaning...Gotta get the adrenalin pump going on the 2x12.
The remains of that log. The red boards on the left are madrone.
Mel picks up another log from this pile, and......
...And places it on the sawmill.
If all goes according to plan...This is what we'll be doing tomorrow, and the next day etc... until they've all turned into lumber.