Progress is slow...

...despite Greg's help.

Forty-two inches is just slighty more than double the length of our 20" chainsaws, making it very tricky to make the cuts line up in the middle.

That's what I call precision

Just dropped the second oak. This one was 3.5 FEET in diameter at the base and also about 75 FEET tall. Notice that I dropped it precisely between the two fence posts. ;)

This was the tree that had to come down. About 90% dead, it had been shedding widow-makers in storms for years, but dropping just it would have meant it would have gotten hung up in last week's tree.

This wood will burn much better than last week's tree as well. 

The rink is open for skating...

...please call ahead for reservations.

In order to make up for not having a skating rink for the past two years, this year's rink is twice as big at 30' by 40'.  With any luck, Google will update their satellite imagery this winter/spring and I will have left a mark visible from space on the Earth.

Only one casualty so far...

While I have taken the last two weeks in December as vacation, ostensibly this is a working vacation, primarily focused on processing firewood.

Earlier in the week I dropped one oak tree with a diameter of about 3" at the base and about 75" tall. That is a story all its own. Verizon owns an easement through our property on which they run a phone line. For years we have asked them to come drop a few trees that threatened their lines and their only response has been "if it takes down the line, then we'll come repair it".  So I dropped the tree this week. I thought there was a small chance it would miss, but I was wrong.  The top branches just brushed it and the line was yanked off one of the poles and now sits about 1" off the ground. Supposedly Verizon will come out and rehang it, but they've missed one appointment already, so we'll see how that goes.

Anyway, after Santa presents were opened this morning and a lazy morning was enjoyed by all, I spent the afternoon splitting the wood harvested so far from the aforementioned tree.  Since I have my log splitter raised up on car ramps for general splitting this winter, I decided to just split the 3" sections into 8ths and then finish them on the log splitter.

Unfortunately, I missed on one swing and shattered the handle of the sledgehammer. I may be mistaken, but I do believe that my dad gave me that sledgehammer, and I have many fond memories of using it to flatten aluminum cans in my youth. No worries though; I will replace the handle and it keep on serving me. The Magners was not responsible for the miss; I waited until after all sledgehammer work was done before cracking open the first one.

Played hooky today...

We called Emma in sick today and took her, Deidre, Mitchell and Bob Macaraeg and his daughter to Okemo for a quick daytrip skiing. Despite sub-freezing temps, gale force winds and near whiteout conditions, everyone had a fantastic time and we are all looking forward to the next trip.

The Company Holiday Party

Tonight, Fiona and I attended the annual company holiday party. The auction was a great success; raising over $40,000 for local charities. Rich Yannacco (pictured) was, as usual, the quintessential auctioneer. We successfully bid on a week's rental of a condo in NH that sleeps 10. Many friendships were renewed and a jolly time was had by all.

Merry Christmas!