Doug bought a chainsaw last night in order to take down the fallen tree.
We went out and as we were working through it, cutting it into smaller, more manageable pieces, I couldn't help feel incredibly sad and sorry. I know that deep down I'm just projecting my feelings for Kinger, it's so obvious, but it is just another example of how sudden and unexpected death can be.
This tree was very vibrant and alive. It was habitat, and our cardinals are really pissed. It was the tree the squirrel always escaped up when Jack came tearing after him every day, perfectly positioned in our yard, and among the evergreens it was a laurel and very unique and beautiful. Unique in all the world, to steal from The Little Prince...
As we cut, it ran sap, which made me think or how hard trees have to work to get moisture from the ground up to the beautiful top leaves... and how I should water my trees as often as I water my garden plants.
Its death was sudden, like Kinger's, and was an accident, and was unexpected and unfortunate. I will actually miss this tree.
Doug counted 17-20 rings when he was showing Geoff how to figure out the tree's age. And all told we've been here for close to 10, so I feel our participating in part of its life was a real privilege, a blessing. And it is now gone.
bye tree. you were good to have around.
It is Saturday night now. We went geocaching earlier and I blew up at Doug because he once again made a bad trail choice and got us wandering and bushwhacking, which pissed me off to no end. I let him have it with all barrels, which is something I never do.
We've not kissed and made up, but dinner and some margaritas have us on speaking terms once again. And I think that I was overtly harsh but he is overtly .... bushwhackey, and it really gets to me after a while.
I love hiking. I love geocaching. I hate hate HATE having to fight to get to a safe trail. Bushwhacking is not my bag. And he thinks it is all "part of the adventure." Perhaps. But it pisses me off to no end when I suggest a safer route and he's all "nah, let's go THIS way!" and it is ... not so good.
It could be worse. I could have a husband who beats me and gambles all our money away. I can't complain when he misjudges how a trail may turn out, or a direction in the woods may pay off. But today was taxing on our hiking relationship and I almost called geocaching mutiny.
What I really wanted to write about was how freaking FUN chainsaws are. No lie kids. Wicked fun. And starting off with the sad passing of a tree and bitching about my husband's trail choices sort of put a damper on that. But make no mistake, my sadness for the tree's demise is not overshadowed by the "wrewww wrewww WREWWWW!" of a freaking Poulin Chainsaw revving up in the long morning shadows of an early autumn day, bitches!
And it rocks.
It cut like butter through some older dry stump of a tree we have in our yard, and it was so wicked that I want to chainsaw the entire universe. No lie.
We have this nice pile of cut wood logs from the downed tree now, and I turned my mental attention to the remainder of the pile of wood from our neighbor. When he cleared his property for his trucks back a few years ago, he gave us all the downed wood... but each log is like 3 feet long. They alll need to be shortened. I think the chainsaw and I may have a date with this older wood, shortening things so they fit more easily into the fire pit. Mwah ha ha ha...
We are probably going camping next weekend, and it is my sincere hope that we take our own wood, cut and dried and seasoned for 3 years, instead of scrounging for wood. I'm also hoping that the weather is nice. And in my heart I miss Kinger, because a year ago Columbus Day Weekend we took my favorite picture ever together. And I'll miss him.
Sigh. He was such a happy dog. And we were so so so happy that day.
Anyway. I recall this hike like it was yesterday.
Life goes on right?
Right.
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