People who know me well, know this
about me - don't get me riled! If you
do, you had better hope that you are not under the same roof because you will
either be drafted into the cleaning army or you will suffer my hostage crisis
intervention tactics and be subjected to my very loud country and western
music. No disrespect to all you country
and western music lovers ... I do have many beautiful albums ... but I tend to
listen to them very loud when I am upset or frustrated because it is nice to
know someone else is feeling the blues!
Well, yesterday was such a day and
because I have managed to keep my home really tidy over the last few weeks, I
unleashed it all in my back yard! I
continued to rake away at the ground, raking away all the death to make room
for new life. Sparing my neighbours my
wrath, I plugged myself into my iPod, pumped up the volume and went at it. Wheelbarrow after wheelbarrow, I carried all
the dead leaves, spent evergreen needles and yes, the first layer of ground up
to the end of the street and dumped it!
The recent cold weather and snow has
hampered my progress a little so I got as much as I could done. Feeling still very antsy, I looked around at
the work I have accomplished and my eye came to rest on a poor unsuspecting
tree. How many times have I looked at my
sketched canvas to have my eye always stopping at this tree. What an irritant!
Taking a few steps forward towards the
tree, I began to assess the situation. I
stooped down, hmm ... about 10" in diameter; stood up and extended my neck
looking up, hmm... about 15' tall ... useless to the eye and its canopy really
affecting the sunlight spilling into the deep back yard. I paced back towards the yard assessing where
15' would land. Nowhere near the house! And so began my adventure of
"chopping" down a tree with a hatchet and a sweet saw!
Chop a little here and there ...
remembering my early days as a Girl Guide and the fabrication of lean-to's having
to chop down some good size supports.
Chop harder here and large bits of wood started flying in every
direction. Sweat began to pour but not
once did my resolve damper. A little
precision work with the sweet saw and back at hacking away at the trunk. A smile grew brighter in my heart and made
its way to my face ... yup another "me" idea!
Stepping back, I admired my work thus
far only to realize that all I needed was a good shove! TIMBER!!!!
The cracking sound and ultimate thump on the ground made my heart roar!
I cleared the trunk of all the
branches, hauling them to a pile thinking the boys will be earning their eats
when they come to help finish clearing my canvas. I attempted to drag the trunk but realized
that my emotions and physical had finally come together. I was pleasantly spent, drunk with the exhilaration!
As I look out in the back yard this
morning, I groaned! Instead of a tree,
there is now this ugly stump looking like a beaver has had a feast leaving a
rather nasty white beacon! More cleaning
... or shall I say clearing.
*Groan* ...
