The View Continues To Improve

Part of the overall canal project is getting rid of some scrub trees and bushes. This time is a pine that got pretty badly burned last year when a trash fire got away from whoever started it, which got several folks excited - us included. All we could see as it was vigorously burning was our parking palapa going up about as fast.

Cutting the Notch

Making the Back Cut

Anyway, here they go, making the initial cuts - the notch in front - which took forever, as even this wood is very hard, and making the back cut. I'm not sure folks in the Northwest in the logging communities would approve of the process they've used here.

But First - The Rope Broke

Retrieving the End

And then... Well, there's always something, isn't there? As they made their cuts in the tree, they progressively put more tension on the line with the pickup. Naturally, the rope broke and the majority of it tangled itself up in the tree. First, they cut a length of wood to see if they could dislodge it from the ground. No way. So, some unlucky (or lucky, since he got down unscathed) sap had to climb up into the tree to untangle the line. Now, remember, the big vee-notch in the front has already been made, as has the rear cut, so this tree is really, I mean, REALLY, unstable.

Retying the Ends

Making the Final Back Cut

After successfully untangling the rope and getting back down safely, they re-tied it to the end attached to the pickup. Firing up the truck once again, they took another stab at making a final back cut on the recalcitrant tree.

Run For It!

Timb-e-r-r-r!

All of a sudden it began to go. The sawman took his saw and began to run to the side (although it doesn't look like it from the picture) and "Timb-e-r-r-r-r"! The tree began to come down, faster and faster. So did the pickup, which was able to get out of the way.

Crash! It's Down

And, "Crash"! It's down. Thankfully, no one was injured or killed and no pickup was harmed in the making of this photo essay. I'm sure some of the wood will go for cooking wood and some may end up with wood carvers. Some might even end up at Lumba-Yaad, Corozal's lumberyard. Lumba-Yaad is it's actual name too, where it will be sawn into dimensional lumber.

Well, that's it for now. I have to go get to work, spiffing up the house as Dianna has gone across the street to help Vivien with some garden design issues. She made some snide comment about that "She was sure the maid would take care of things while she was away." I just want to make sure the 'maid' actually gets stuff done instead of getting side-tracked playing with the computer or something.

Cheers,
Dave