Trees, trees, and more trees

Since arriving here more trees have been cut down than I can remember! Before we got here there were even more trees felled by Dan Thompson. Some have been cut down for lumber to use in the construcion of the house while others are cut down to clear the area for a driveway as as well as a future cabin site. Three separate times guys have come with a portable saw mill to cut the timber into beams or 2x4's, etc. Of course that's meant burning lots of brush and hauling firewood, and then hauling more firewood and more firewood....

Every once in a while the tree doesn't quite fall according to plan- this one got stuck since there was a very narrow strip through the trees for it to fill and actually make it to the ground. Dan then pounded it off the stump with a sledgehammer then pulled it with the pickup from its base so it rolled of the branches it was stuck on. Matthew felled several that were caught in among so many vines and fences that they rarely fell with the first cut through the base.

But that's not the only thing that's been going on with trees around here. There are some seriously big redwoods that have become favorite climbing trees, especially for a certain teenage boy! See if you can spot him at the very top of this one!