Year Two Day Fifty Five - Axing Brush

Dear all, 

I have the power and was unstoppable today up at the cottage. Nothing is safe: my mission today-to clear the brush, ALL of it... 

As Darren pointed out, this mission would take years.. so I started on one of the large pine trees that we had to drop in order that The Hydro Guys could come in and link up our power - a very important and exciting prospect. 

Darren is a dab hand in the forest and took me aside to teach me a couple of tricks about how to strip a fallen tree. My weapons of choice would be an axe and a Swedish Saw ( which I preferred to call a Sword-I have visions of grandeur)

I had been given the task of cutting through a ton of brush from several fallen trees - I used the axe and sword to tear off the periperhal branches that would then end up on the pile or on the fire. That fire is working over time pumping out heat and burning through endless wood, foliage and detritus. 

Here I am in full swing! I love love love this kind of work - it's so physical and rewarding with the results so quite to attain. I would give myself small goals: Swim when I finish that tree, Coffee when I finish the next.. that kind of thing. 

I was very happy with my work and finished off the day with a swim to the Island ( with Darren along side me in the boat) - turns out, a storm was blowing in and my swim was akin to swimming across the English Channel... not a 'light' work out and let's just say, I slept very soundly that night!

** Axe tip from Master Darren: Line the branch up on the tree stump and slice away - the stump will absorb the energy of the blow and in the process, that branch will break in two like a match stick!

And in other news:

1. We spotted a fleet of kayaks traversing the lake this morning... gorgeous ( and they were singing!)

2. Bob had picked up this awesome radio for us all to use at the cottage - it's brilliant and all we need to do its to wind it up and we get music ( albeit a very dodgy country station and something very intense in French)