Change of Plans

So I was going to tell you about the work NMBA did this weekend to help reclaim some of the trials from last weekend’s gnarly weather, but instead I stayed up watching game six. Now it’s late and I’m tired (mainly from wielding a chainsaw all day long). I have a big week ahead of me and I really just want to go to bed so that’s what I’m going to do. Sorry, but sometimes that’s the way it goes…

Two Cycles Are Better Than One

This weekend in the SC we were inundated with some freakishly bizarre weather. It snowed; a lot. It wasn’t your average snow, but a very heavy wet snow. In some areas they reported accumulations of seven inches. As a snowboarder this would normally be fantastic, but in this case it was a different story.

Since we’re just getting into the heavy fall colors, the trees are still covered in leaves. This, coupled with the wet snow caused a lot of trees to lose branches or come down completely. They actually declared a disaster and opened shelters due to the power outages (that still hasn’t been completely restored). Fortunately I had power, but I, as well as several friends, had a lot of trees and tree related parts lying on the ground, hanging on roofs, or bending well beyond where they should due to the extra snow-load. In order to clean up from Mother Nature’s cruel joke I got to run my chainsaw.

I don’t often get to play with the chainsaw but it’s definitely something I really enjoy doing. I was offering to help friends, neighbors and anyone who had tree appendages that needed to be cut. There’s something about a finely tuned chainsaw effortlessly slicing through a piece of hardwood that’s quite gratifying. Apparently I’m not the only one who feels this way because the neighborhood sounded like a sawmill.

While it might seem as though I’m making light of the events from this weekend I’m not. It’s incredibly nerve wracking to lie in bed at night and hear nothing but the sound of cracking wood followed by loud thuds that you hope are not the roof of your house. Fortunately the weather warmed up enough to melt out the snow and give some relief to the over-stressed trees. Also, power has been restored to most of the community. Even with all the craziness, I was able to find one more thing that I really enjoy doing and now I also have some free firewood.

It’s All About The View

Fall is starting to settle into the Valley and the trees are starting to change. This weekend I was out in Rothrock for a bonfire, pig roast, and general merriment. Several of us decided to camp so we wouldn’t have to drive back in to town. As an added bonus, it was a fantastic night with cold crisp air that made getting zipped up my sleeping bag that much nicer.

Sunday morning was nice and sunny so on the drive out I decided to stop and take a few pictures. Looking down into the valley I was greeted with brilliant colors and some low clouds that were fighting to hang around before the sun burned them off. It was one of those views that you just need to sit back and take in. There was nothing but trees, hills, and Mother Nature doing what she does best. The pictures don’t truly capture the moment but it’s nice to have a reminder of why I live in Central Pennsylvania.

Things I Hate

While other people might disagree, I consider myself a pretty easy-going guy. There really isn’t much that I hate. In fact, I don’t even like using the word because it seems so harsh. Until recently there was only one item on the list of “Things I Hate.” That one thing was cobwebs. I truly hate cobwebs, with one caveat. If I’m in the woods were cobwebs are common, I don’t mind them. They’re supposed to be there. However, when I’m walking out my front door in the morning to go to work and take one in the face, I hate them. This weekend, I added another item to my list. The new affiliate giving cobwebs company is acorns.

I have a tremendous white oak tree in my back yard. It’s probably close to two-hundred years old and is very healthy. For about the last month this tree has been surrendering acorns. They have been ricocheting off my roof keeping me awake at night and accumulating on the ground. So many acorns had fallen that walking in the yard is like walking on marbles (those cartoon characters aren’t exaggerating much). Apparently there aren’t enough squirrels in my neighborhood to take the acorns away and since the majority of this tree fruit is now on the ground I decided it was time to take action.

After spending several hours raking acorns into rows and piles I was faced with the decision of what to do with them all. After some discussion with the neighbors and consultation with other individuals more wise than me, I still had no definitive answer. I reluctantly decided to add them to my ever expanding yard waste pile. After hauling about a dozen trash cans full of acorns across the yard, I called it quits. This constituted only about half the acorns that were relinquished by this massive white oak. I don’t know what I’m going to do with the rest of them. What I do know is that right now, I really hate acorns.