Tree chopping and stacking, and helpers!

My achy breaky body! I love hard work. The warmth of the sun on my face, lifting, hauling, throwing stuff around. I'm getting a lot done. Hubby raked some, that's all his back can take. Probably a dozen trees down, large and small. It brings more light into the forest, and gives us some wood to burn.

I woke on the second morning to a free motorcycle! Not. He was sitting in the chair waiting for the rest of the crew.

I haven't been visiting my blog buddies for the past couple of days. By the end of the day I'm just brain dead with the physical work! It's so good to sit down! I'll get back to you soon! Today, I want to work on the goldfish pond.

I did stop and smell the roses, or, at least, the crocus! Also spotted a garter snake. It was the first of the season! A V of geese went by, as well. Happily just as I was taking a water break.

These trees, by the frog pond, had to come down. It's where we sit and watch the critters.
Ms. Wood duck tolerated the fooferaw quite well. She came and went during the day, in between the noise, I could see her from up above, top right in the photo is our 'front yard'. She'll hatch them up in a month, and I'll haul these logs, split them and stack them. This is her 2nd year with us. There was a branch leaning, and dead elms ready to fall. As the pond dries in summer, I can get to the tree. Unfortunately, the bugs will be out...

Wood Duck box #1, with the cut logs.

This sad, dead Elm (below) was the last one they took down. I feared branches coming down on people or vehicles on the driveway. Also, my chair, The Hand of God, is chained to it. It looks a bit odd, but it's a lot safer. It took the whole crew to move the chair prior to throwing down the branches. It's a heavy one. We get people stopping to take photos. I should charge them. This is why we put in a gate.
I bought myself this chair from a Teak store in Muskoka. I'd drive past it on my way to care for my late father. It was my loving remembrance of that time when I gave back to my Dad.

Scott suggested I tie up the branches and haul them!

The fencing has come down.
It was about ready to go, rotting wood.

I'm making progress stacking.
It's a better view from the kitchen window, now.

This is our happy deer, 
munching on cedar branches that fell.
She hangs with us all summer, 
unlike the others who've taken off.
She didn't help with the stacking, though!

From the kitchen window,
we can see down into the meadow.

Let me talk to you about my 'helpers!' Hubby drove into the city to pick up my fixed videocam. Meantime, here is Buster on his blanket on his side table. Even Daisy, who is usually quite helpful...at least in a supervisory mode, wasn't too happy. They don't like the lawn tractor, which is fine. Once the chain saws were gone, they came out.

Daisy picked up her first tick on Wednesday. Bug season begins!