As The Seasons Change – Winter Prep And Making An Awesome Discovery…
Summer is coming to an end. For us, summer has flown by at warp speed this year! Of late, in fact, our attention seems to have suddenly turned to preparing for winter, almost abruptly.
As the evenings cool and the mornings greet us with a little crisper, fresher mountain air lately, we’re reminded that there are still “tasks” to be completed before old man winter arrives in our area.
For the past few weeks it seems the days have been rapidly passing by marching full steam ahead towards fall and (sooner than we’d like) on to winter. It’s time to get prepared!
Splitting Firewood… The Easy Way
Last week, in preparation for winter, Jesse split some firewood… a pile that he had cut earlier this spring and piled to dry or season throughout the summer months. This time he had a bit of fun splitting wood, though, as you’ll see in the video at right.
Jesse’s told me, for a few months now, that he planned to use the excavator to split the wood he had cut and piled to season. But I had no idea how easy it would make this normally laborious task until I watched him do it.
Okay, I know I’m bias… but I have to say that I couldn’t help marveling at the amount of skill this must take, as I watched him maneuver the blocks of wood… standing them up and splitting them almost seamlessly in one motion at times. And doing so with such a massive piece of equipment.
Anyway, after seeing how fast and easy the firewood got split this year, I’m thinking that the old splitting mall may get to retire now. Well, at least semi-retire…
An Exciting Discovery – The Natural “Gem” I Found In The Woods!
After videoing Jesse as he split firewood with the excavator for a while, I decided to take a short walk in the woods while he finished up.
I had only walked a few hundred yards, though, when I discovered a natural “gem” hidden in the shadows of the trees and the thick brush.
A single ray of sunshine had found its way through the trees; glimmering in the dark, making the bright yellow and orange of “something” a short distance away from me seem to glow… especially in contrast to the dark shadows of the surrounding forest.
The vivid, beautiful natural colors shining brightly through the darkness of the shadows immediately caught my eye drawing me in like a magnet. As I got closer, I felt just like a gambler who had just hit the jackpot!
After gasping out loud, doing a little “victory dance” to celebrate my good fortune and circling the stump a few times to assess this awesome find, I instantly wondered to myself “what natural masterpiece can I create with this?”
I have a few ideas, of course, but I must admit that I am a little “stumped”. The first question that came to mind when I discovered this gem was “How can I preserve it? Or can I?” Will it rot eventually or do these harden with time and remain solid? I don’t know.
I also wondered if I should keep it completely natural and create a standalone centerpiece? Or use it in a wall arrangement along with other natural elements? Or something else…?
What I do know is that I will have to decide soon. And I’ve already chosen just the right piece of slate rock to use as a base or a backing.
But, beyond that, I’m definitely open to suggestions and advice!
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