Timber!

We had a big Locust tree fall across the access road at the top of our property not too long ago (no buildings there, just trees, trees and more trees).

We knew it would eventually come down because it was leaning quite a bit and we were good with it's impending doom because Locust is a very hard wood and makes excellent over night firewood (you actually have to be careful because it does burn so hot, but one or two good logs in with some other wood will keep the fire burning for most of the night)...and we much prefer to use fallen wood than to have to cut a tree unless it's absolutely necessary (like to increase the amount of sun reaching the garden).

Off we went on Big Bear (our ATV) to start the process of getting it back to the cabin and turning it into firewood.

Funny, it doesn't look very big in the picture above, but you can see how large it is below...

 ...it looks like at some point someone cut some of the roots to clear the access road...that was long before our time but a good example of how important to keep trees intact.

There was a lot of sawing going on...

 

 ...and every time a log fell it thunked to the ground...

 ...a few runaways thunkity-thunked as they rolled down the bank.

 We ended up with lots of good wood...

 ...here's load #1, there will probably be 4 or 5 trips to get it all back here...

...right now I'm listening to the steady rhythm of the sledge hammer whacking the wedge followed by the crack of the log splitting, then the ax splintering the wood into burnable pieces...whack, whack, whack, crack...whack, whack, whack, crack...splinter, thud...splinter thud...it's kind of relaxing (for me of course, Johny is the wood splitter, though he's said he likes it...better him than me). 

All this made me think about this old question that has perplexed many and caused much philosophical discussion..."If a tree falls in a forest and no one is around to hear it, does it make a sound?"...I say yes, there just won't be someone there shouting "TIMBER!".  What do you think?

If you're interested, this link provides information about the origination of the quote 

and many philosophical perspectives on the answer to the question. 

Thanks for reading my blog, you are the best f/f/r/s/f's, see you tomorrow,
Lise