physical labor | Big Owl's Tree

My oldest and I spent the weekend taking out some aging and poorly placed trees. The new owners of the house wanted a fresh start, so we cleared out six gold arborvitae, a weeping cherry, a red bud, and a bald cypress.

Most of it was pretty straightforward, pole saw and chainsaw work. We used the tractor to move the heavy pieces and disposed of everything out at the farm. As soon as we get some decent rain, I’ll burn off the debris. Right now, just a little too dry for my preference.

We got most of the job completed Friday and Saturday, but there was one load to clean up and haul Sunday morning. Of course, after time change, I have been in a time-lapse haze, trying to recalibrate my body to the difference in light. This nonsensical practice has to stop. Needless to say, that final load was the most tedious, not because of the work but because of the time change fog.

I’ve been contemplating putting out a sales book I wrote several years ago. Business slows down a lot this time of year, so I should have the time. I might test the waters and see if there’s a demand for it right now.

That’s all for now. Remember that love eventually triumphs over hate, so try not to let hate rot you from the inside.

What a two days! I have a newly found respect for roofers because laying that tar for several hours on end was a lot more taxing than I realized. I had done some small repairs previously, and the small jobs weren’t so bad, but this one took it out of me. The good news is I got most of the hard stuff done. The bad news is there’s still a lot more to go. With the weather looking the way it is, I may put that off for a couple of weekends. Hopefully, what I have finished will prevent any leaks until I can finish the rest.

Despite being a little sore and ragged, I love physical labor. Nothing is quite as therapeutic for me as hard work. It clears my mind and allows me to focus solely on the task at hand. Even if just for a few hours, all of my problems vanish, and it’s just me and the job. Those of you who enjoy working in your yards or building something by hand probably know what I’m talking about. Those of you who don’t should try it. There’s not much more relaxing, and the instant gratification of seeing the job complete satisfies you quite nicely.

There’s still much to be done. I have to finish and organize the inside and clean up around the outside, but considering the condition when I started, I’m content with the progress so far. If I can do a little each day, by the time the boys are here, it should be a safe, cozy little place for us to hang out and play in. The last time they were here, they loved the motor home and thought it was the coolest place they’d ever been, so hopefully by the time I’m done, they’ll love it just as much this time.

That’s about all today. Tonight, I need to rest my body. Tomorrow, I’ll get back to work and hopefully make more progress, and I hope to write a much more entertaining entry. Until then, I hope everyone has a wonderful evening.