Logging

 The process of disposing of a very large Madrone tree has begun. 

On Saturday Mr. Lee and his crew were here to take down what was left of the tree.

The crew felled the tree, cut it up into firewood lengths, hauled away the tree top brush, and pruned the holly hedge, all on Saturday morning.

We were then left with some very large rounds to be split and hauled. Tom got some of the smaller stuff hauled to our yard and stacked. 

On Sunday Jake came over to help. They took some time sizing up the job. Those rounds were going to take a lot of work, and the result was going to be more wood than we or Jill wanted. 

Jake set to work with the wedge and sledge. Tom stacked and cleared. 

Jill was at the Whidbey cabin for the weekend but when she heard about the logging, she wanted to get in on the action. She joined in by early afternoon.

This is going to take a while, but eventually it will get done. Madrone is very dense, heavy wood, and must be split before it dries out and gets iron hard. Tom, Jill and Jake worked several hours before calling it a day for now.

Today, Monday, Isaac plans to come over and haul what has already been split. Jake will come back on Tuesday.

Tuesday, March 4th, is Jill's 52nd birthday. We are celebrating it today with the family at a steak house. Irene won't be there and we'll miss her, but Tom has been checking in on her with the question, "Did you feel this one?" Bellingham has been experiencing multiple earthquakes, not enough for damage, but strong enough this morning to wake Irene up. The answer, "Yes. I did!"