Working in the Woods Again

With all the wind storms we've had in the last few months, there are a lot of downed trees out in the woods again.  The Saturday before we lost power (due to 10+ hours of sustained winds about 50 mph), DH and the girls spent most of the day out cleaning up the road in the woods.  They had to cut up several trees that had fallen along the approximately 1/3 mile of "road" (really a two-track path dozed with the tractor the first summer we owned the property) we have back there.

While there, DH eyed a few more trees he wanted to cut up; including two large ones that had fallen across the drainage ditch that is just across our back fence line and separates our woods from the neighbor's field.  However, those two big trees would require more time and more equipment than he had that day.

So, this Saturday, he and I went back there with the tractor, chains, come along, log tongs, machete, and chainsaw.  We spent 4 1/2 hours retrieving those trees.  It wasn't easy.  In fact, at times it was downright scary when they hung up and started to tip the tractor.  Time to stop and reassess the situation!! Tilting sideways or nose-down on a tractor is not high on my list of fun things to do.

We got them, though.  Without tipping the tractor, and with no injuries to either of us, save some scratches from the wild roses that one of them fell on.  (Hence the need for the machete--whacking rose briars.)  At one point, DH was down in that drainage ditch, standing on we weren't sure how thick of ice, his chainsaw held at head height, while he cut through the fork of a big black cherry tree.  Once the fork had been severed from the trunk. leaving us with three parts (left fork, right fork, and trunk which was still attached to a 6' root ball that was frozen to the ground), it was fairly easy for me to drag each big log (left and right forks) across the ditch with the tractor.  Once they were on solid ground, DH cut them up with the chainsaw.

I intended to take some pictures while we were working on the beasts, but, well, my cell phone battery didn't like the cold weather and decided to be too weak to take pictures.  Maybe next time, I'll bring the real camera (and something warm to keep it in!)