Busy stuff!

I have really been contributing to greenhouses gases the last few days! More chainsaw duty-trying to get the girdled trees dropped in the goat pen so that they can finish stripping them and I can cut the wood up for firewood.

Whoever decided a bunch of goats should be called a herd, has never seen a bunch of goats in action when they hear a chainsaw running. Total pack mentality. First the dumber, slower ones place themselves where they think the prey (in this case, the falling tree) will head. The more aggressive ones try to help start the saw and stand near the intended victim. The ones that are already full from breakfast hang in the back and watch the fun.

I have only been brave enough to drop trees that I think won't kill the goats if it hits them. I have to have everything scoped out in advance-the whole area, because once a tree hits the ground, forget dropping another one in the same place safely, as the pack descends for the kill.

While the goats are eviscerating the first kill, I relocate with the running chainsaw in hand (it has gone back to cranky starts, so I don't shut it off until I'm done.) and try and get the next tree dropped before the more agressive ones realize I have moved with the Alpha-the saw-and follow.

I managed to work my way up to 5 or 6 inch diameter trunks, and finally decided to take out the 10 inch birch. I have been eyeballing that one for awhile, since it is a big tree for me. And, it is positoned poorly, right up against a boulder, and leaning in that direction. The only way to take it out was to cut it 3 feet up from the ground over the boulder.

The birch was definitely big enough to squish a goat.

I had distracted them with some smaller stuff elsewhere, and moved in for the kill. The birch was already girdled, due to die anyhow, and yet offered a few good pieces of almost ready to burn firewood. I started in cutting the wedge out the drop-side, and on the second cut the goats started to advance. *swears*.

Quickly I moved onto the back cut, and the saw, of course, started to bog down, wanting to stall in the cut. I pulled it back out of the cut and revved it up to bring it out of it, cursing and trying to hurry beofre the goats got into the drop zone. I did not want to leave it at that stage, in case a breeze came up-it might fall the wrong way.

Luck was on my side, the saw came back to life and I continued with the cut and dropped the beast -slowly, but right where I had wanted it to fall. The goats descended in their ravening pack. I moved back to where the goats had just been, and dropped a 5 inch diameter beech, girdled, but still with leaves. I nearly got the chain stuck in the back cut, and called it a day for dropping trees.

Later, after a bunch of other mundane chores, I drove over to a friends to borrow their lawnmower. I annihilated the meadow and reclaimed the lawn this afternoon. No way was I going to make last year's mistake and try and rake leaves in 6 inches of grass!

Looks pretty good for the first mow of the year. :)

I also asked my lawnmower-lending friend to adjust the loose chain on the chainsaw, so that is ready to get back to work for me soon. Rats, he showed me how to do it myself for next time. ;)
What an enabler...LOL.

I really needed to know, though, as the chain was quite loose and it is a safety issue.

That was enough gas exhaust for me for the day! I have started simmering a pot roast and need to go out into the garden and treasure-hunt some pototoes. I like to leave them in the ground as long as possible and dig them as we need them. I just finished off the end of a small row of lovely russets. Next up-not sure if I have reds or whites left? Could be more russets!