Beltane Running Creeks Moon
As the precipitation has backed off over the last week, the creeks are less vigorous, though still full. Properties with a driveway running over a creek have to build strong bridges and use solid culverts, a considerable expense I imagine. And sometimes, like last year, the creek washes them out.
The Gransfors limbing ax got a workout this morning, finishing the limbing in the back. Tomorrow the chainsaw. First task, cut the felled trunks into either fireplace size logs or larger logs that Seth can come pick up. Second, move the limbs and tree tops to the front so they can be chipped or hauled away. Third, cut down the remaining trees marked by Splintered Forest last fall, limb them and cut them up, moving the limbs and tree tops to the front. Last, cut down a few more trees I’ve identified, dead ones or small ones blocking the growth of larger trees. Limb, cut up, move.
The blue ribbons are a little faint, but they’re about a fifth of the way up the trunk. This is how Splintered Forest marked the trees to cut. A two topper is a lodgepole with a branched trunk at the top. These are prone to splitting under stress and are almost always marked to come down. This one was near the house so I had Always Chipper cut it down. The limbing goes up to the narrower tip of the branch which I’ll cut off with a chainsaw. It will be chipped or hauled away. The rest will get cut up.
The felling ax may come out for some of the smaller trees just because it’s fun to act fully like a lumber jack. Gotta keep the Minnesota forest cred somehow.
