Stubborn Wood!

We've had a loads of fun getting wood this fall.  After a couple weekends hiatus, these are pictures from September.  Our last trip all together seemed to go pretty quickly - on the loading end.  Felling the trees seemed to be a little iffy - snags and stubborn wood seemed to bind Tom's saw every time and then leave the severed tree standing instead of on its side for limbing. 

Case in point - the last tree of the day: after lunch we had one truck left to fill.  Thomas decided to go for the tree in middle of this picture.  It is already cut and leaning - you can faintly see the little wedge of light at the base where it is leaning.  We ladies stood on the other side of the trailer with great concern for the tree falling on it instead of in the direction it was intended.

After severing the tree from its trunk, Thomas started up a little higher in an effort to topple the tree.

Having made the cut,  the tree buckled and bucked out the cut section, but remained standing.

He is a muscle man, but even he couldn't push this big guy over.  He cut another section out, and while it gave a little more movement - namely hooking its branches on the nearby tree and swiveling towards us over by the trailer - it continued to stay upright

Meanwhile, Pop extended the winch on the UTV as far is it would go, but it wasn't long enough to give the UTV safe clearance from a tree falling in its direction.  As Andres wound it back up slowly, the rope was retrieved and tied around the tree.  Tom and Daniel played tug-o-war with the tree; Daniel tried taking a flying leap; and finally, the UTV was brought around to pull the tree to its demise.  Once blocked it more than filled the last truck, and we called it a day.  Can't wait for what's in store this weekend!