Last night when Tom drove out to take the garbage cans out to the end of the drive he discovered a tree down so this morning we had to clear it off. As I get up before Tom I had time to do my exercises, tai chi form, and weightlifting (very little weights, not many repetitions, but hopefully helps my wrists and tendons by strengthening the muscles around them). The downed tree was a good size birch. It seemed quite healthy. Tom cut up the wood and I moved the pieces off the road. I would have liked to use it for firewood but Tom doesn't see the point as all of it would have to be split soon or it will rot. And he isn't interested in splitting it. I would split it but my wrists won't stand up to it any more. So instead it will just lie there and rot. Tom says that isn't really a waste because the insects will make homes in it, the woodpeckers will peck it up to get at the insects, making holes that will be enlarged by other animals and used. It will make a good home for wild life. I suggested that we take the large solid trunk section and split it in half once. It would make great seats but he says it would be too much trouble to split that way. And since I don't have the strength to do it myself there is not much to be said about it, except for pouting of course.
We went to the root end to take a look at what had caused it to uproot. The tree appeared to have been growing around a large rock, which left a space for animals and insects. They had eaten away a hollow and the wood had rotted part way up the trunk leaving it weaker. The wind and rain that we had last week must have finished it off.
We trimmed back the branches of the apple tree since one of our nest members had walked into the branches in the dark. Tom wanted to cut it back far more than I did. He likes to make a major cut and then not have to do it again for 10 years. I would rather cut it back small amounts and do it again in a couple years.
As long as we were cutting up trees Tom cut down the dead tree along the garden fence line. The top had broken and fallen to the ground without actually coming loose from the break. With ritual this weekend and children coming we thought it would be better to take it down. Tom cut it down then ran and it headed in his direction but he made it and got out from under it. He cut it up and I stacked it for bonfire wood. We have been collecting the smaller branches knocked down by the wind for kindling as well. It began to rain as we were finishing the clean up so we left it and went in. Fifteen minutes later the sun was out again and the rest of the day was quite nice.
I went in and got some of my priestess training courses done. I read Shamanism. Then in the afternoon I went out to start mowing the Dearinth paths. I got ¼ of the total done. Because the grass is still so low it was relatively easy. Later in the season when the grass is higher it takes me two weeks to do the whole thing. And I come in hot, sweaty, and blowing and steaming like a race horse at the end of the race. I felt very good about getting so much of it done. Hopefully I can finish it up this week before Walspurgisnacht. I may want to walk it on Beltane morn.
Copyright © 2001 Kyril Oakwind