Just sawin’ away!

It’s almost April and, for the most part, it still looks like winter.  Working outside yesterday, I was still wearing a sweatshirt.  It was about 55°F (10.2°C) and quite breezy.

We’ve been working clearing some overgrown areas and taking care of some weather damage to trees.  We think the dead tree above died due to the 2012 drought.

I was waiting for felling wedges ordered Duluth Trading Company before dropping this tree. I wanted to try a different technique for felling trees that park director Terri Dinesen told us about when we were checking in at Minnesota’s Upper Sioux Agency State Park. It came up when she was explaining why the office had been closed.  She had spotted us in the parking lot as she was driving by from working safety monitor for a worker felling a tree elsewhere in the park.

I dropped that tree exactly where I wanted to.

I hadn’t used the gas-powered chainsaw since last year.  It’s been a real pain to start, even after it was in the shop last year.  After it wouldn’t start yesterday, I’d had it – time for something different.

I’ve been using an electric chainsaw with a 10-inch bar.  It can be used by itself or mounted on a pole for pruning branches.  However, it’s too small for cutting down larger trees like the dead pine.

We really don’t cut enough to warrant one of the better gasoline powered chainsaws.   But what about a larger electric saw?

That’s what we bought – at about 1/3 the cost of the better gas-powered saw.

I’m chainsaw “carving” one section of the log for a planter for Karen, with the understanding that it will rot in place, providing nutrients for a small flower bed as it does.

Note: I’m using a bunch of Karen’s pictures for this post.  She takes a lot of pictures for use on her blog, Quilt’s… etc..