Lumber Jacking

It's been a while since I posted here and it's not because I haven't been doing things... it's just that what I've been doing wasn't all that exciting or new.  Now, I have something I've never really done before... lumber jacking!  I had a rather big pine tree die and I've been staring at the thing for maybe two years, thinking about having it taken down, thinking about the damage it was going to do to the house when it fell because it most certainly would have hit the house if it fell in the right direction.  Last week I had a fellow come up the drive as I was out washing the van and he asked if he could give me a price on bringing down the two dead pines in my back yard.  I told him it was one tree that split about half way up.  He takes a look and tells me $150 to fell it, cut it up, and put the pieces off the grass in the back.  I told him to have at it.  I don't think it took 30 minutes from the time he and his partner got out of the truck until they got back into the truck to leave.  They dropped it across the back yard and I was quite surprised by the incredibly loud bang it made when it hit.  Now I had a lot of logs because it was really like a tree and a half what with the split.  Knowing I had to do something I decided to split the logs.  I don't think I've used my fireplace more than 5 times since I've lived here and I don't have a fire pit but what the heck, something to do that I'd not done before. 

I've split a few logs in my days and I know it's very, very hard work.  I knew I had a LOT of wood to split so I picked up a manual hydraulic splitter and along with my little electric chainsaw I had at it.

I put together a storage/drying thingie -- I really don't know what they're called -- and got it situated off to the side of the house.  Took a while to get the base level but it was done.

 

 

The tree just before they wacked it down.  Big damn tree!

 

What's left of the pile after a day of splitting.  I should have counted the pieces but I didn't.  I'm guessing 50-60 pieces or so based on what's left and what I split.  I know I split a lot of logs and looking at the end of the day the pile didn't seem any smaller. 

 

My little chainsaw and the new splitter.

 

The first day I set up my work area not really knowing what I was going to do but it worked out all right.  I got done what had to be done and didn't cut my leg or arm off.

 

Today, the second day, I enhanced my operation a bit and things went about as easy as they could for me.  Again, no limbs severed or even nicked.  I will say that twice as I was pulling a log off the splitter after the first split I pulled it too soon and the damn log clamped down on my fingers, hard, and it was a royal pain to get it out.  I actually had to walk around the house to the garage, 'wearing' the log, to get a breaker bar to pry the log open.  After the second time I changed how I took the log off the thing.

 

Full load.  That rack is 6 feet by 4 feet so it's a lot of wood.  There is plenty more to do -- I'd say I've done about half of it -- but I'll have to think about when I'm going to do it and how to store it when I do.  All in all, some good work and now I can build a fire in the fireplace should the mood suit me.  More importantly, with my splitter and all the experience I've picked up I'm really getting excited about getting my trailer on a few acres just so I can do this some more! 

 

 

Liking The Look

After getting a kick out of myself for making curtains for the breakfast area I decided to have a go at the main room and the foyer.  This project was more than twice as big which resulted in the worst part of doing this... having to go to four (!!!) Walmarts in one day to get the seven sheets I needed for the project.  I learned a couple of things making the first curtains so the making of these went a little easier and they turned out a bit better although you'll never see the differences.  Again, a lot of fun and I didn't even injure myself!

The 'before' shot looking out onto the deck.

 

And the 'after' shot, closed and open.

 

The 'before' looking out the front of the house.  A little hard to see but the temporary, paper shades held up for a month short of five years and did what they were put up for... blocking the direct afternoon glaring sun.  I'm glad I put them up because they gave me time to think how to cover the windows.  I cannot relate how many ideas I went through for putting blinds/curtains/shades up and never liked any idea for one reason or another until just recently.  I'm very glad I waited.

 

And the 'after' shot, closed and open.

 

Curtain Practice

My daughter-in-law, Samantha, has let me know that she'd appreciate me putting some curtains together for her to hang in their eating area.  No problem and I'm sure she'll get around to picking a fabric some day after tending to the other 984 things on her to-do list.  In the meantime, I figured I could do with some practice.  I've made curtains before but the last I did were for the van, were quite short, and that was about 16 months ago.  I've wanted something on the windows in my house since I moved in but the windows themselves make it a bit tough and I've thought through many, many ways to do it without liking a single idea I had.  Well, I figured a way that I might like to do it so I went ahead and did it.

The kitchen eating area, or whatever it's called, in my house.  Pretty much all glass, including the door, but it is always just so nice to see outside.  Kind of bleak now as it's winter and it was raining when I took these 'before' shots. 

 

Of course fabric was needed.  I wanted something green because I like green and it would match the chair cushions on the chairs around the table.  I also wanted some kind of print... not solid.  Well wouldn't you know it?  Just what I wanted... a green floral pattern on an off-white background!  Not wanting to skimp I paid full price for these flat twin-sized sheets... $4.97 at Walmart.  And the finished results...

 

The 'closed' look, providing some privacy when all the leaves are off the trees in back but still letting light come through the top panes.  Took this shot as it was getting dark outside.

 

And the 'open' look which I must admit, I really like.  Putting the tie-backs up a bit higher than is normal opens just about the whole window letting in the light that I like and allowing me pretty much the same open view I had before.  All in all... I'm happy.  Now I guess I'm going to move on to do the foyer and 'big' room.  A man's work is just never done :)