Progress!!

At last!

Labor day weekend and we're doing some labor!

There were 2 trees about 16 and 20 inches in diameter that needed to come down.

It seemed easy enough. So we get the chain saw working (again), cleared away the remaining brush that had been there from the smaller trees I took down last time, and got to work.

Instead of doing it on my own, Bill and James pitched in. So instead of "chain saw therapy" we had an opprotunity to have "family chain saw therapy". With James taking AP (University level) Physics, Bill being the practical man, and me being the one with the most experience in working with chain saws, it was a real battle of the egos.

But actually it was really a lot of fun!
We got the first tree down, but were trying to keep it from taking out a swamp maple I wanted to save. But the first tree got caught in the branches of a larger pine, so we tried to guide it down using ropes we'd attached earlier...

We managed to get it to fall, but it took a few extra cuts and (fortunately) a lot of laughter. And we managed not to loose any of the small hardwoods I'd been hoping to save. What started out as a slightly fussy day, ended with all of us in stitches, and having a good time. And sore and tired.

And we even managed to clear the two trees and have a bunch of big logs left over! (I'll use them for something)

And we've got a cleared space to start the foundation!! That's tomorrow's work, if we're not too sore and tired.

Of course, I know having a professional team come in here and do this would have gotten it done in an hour and the foundation would now be setting. But honestly, the time spent with the boys made the time and energy worth more than I could have paid anyone. James leaves for University in a year, and we won't have these moments again. (At least until we get the foundation started.)

It just makes it feel that much more special.

Let's see how tomorrow looks!!