Treed Powerline

Saturday's minor wind storm brought a maple tree down and over the Deerwood power line.

After Ontario Hydro crews shut off power down the lines (1:15 am Sunday) I hobbled out later that morning to cut down the hung trunk in sections. But, with three broken branches hooking what appeared to be a levitating, small tree in mid-air, we called in the professionals (with a longer pruning saw than I).

Thanks to MacKenzie Triemstra's expert touch, the hooked branches were cut from the power lines and I am able to post this little note.

The Gaping Maaaw

Spent Friday and most of the weekend at buddy Steve and Sue's place in Alliston. The forestry team worked hard to clear up the pine debris and polewood dropped by a winter storm.

The star of the show was the 12 inch capacity wood chipper. It could chew up and spit out whole trees in a matter of seconds. We felt like little kids with a very powerful and potentially dangerous toy. There were big smiles all around until fatigue turned us into forest zombies with only one purpose - feed The Gaping Maaaw of the wood chipper like it was some monster to be appeased lest it consume us all.

The chipper sounded like this: GRRRRRRR... GRRRR... GRRRRRRR... GRR.... GRRRRRRRRR...

Brian and Steve push a tree into the monster' s black mouth.

Steve watches as the monster spews out chip vomit.

Westcoast Brian wins the Macho Man competition of
Who-Can-Get-His-Face-Closest-to-the-Chipper-Chute.
Don't try this at home, kids.
Only Canadian-macho-man-lumberjack-types could live to tell the tale.


A couple loopers, y'know, pro jocks came by to pull down
some pines for cheap thrills. They drop deadly for kicks.