Getting Limber for Lumber

Well finally got outside and actually accomplished something, with the snow packed down a little but temps dropping back down to -10 overnight its now possible to get back in the bush without needing snowshoes or being up to your knees in the white crap.
So with my lumber supply dwindled down to scraps I figure I need to get some more pine sawn this year for all those 'Honey Do” and “Dad can you....” projects and to rebuild the back porch that did no survive the avalanche of snow and ice from the house roof when things finally warmed up.


With the sun out and it warming to -5 it was a good day to go and cut some pines, there is little time before the sap rises and once that happens the wood will be stained with a blue/grey left over from the excessive sap once dried. Does not hurt the wood so far as I can see and still usable if being painted but not good for fancy projects or natural staining. The next thing is to get the logs sawn by early June before the Pine Sawyer lays its eggs under the bark and their larva starts to chew the hell out of the wood. These grub are voracious, you can hear then chewing from 15 feet away and after a few day can see the pile of sawdust under the log or tree they have attached. Its a good job they will only lay their eggs on 'dead pines', those that the bark has started to peel so far as I can see, but with any cut log laying past June for any time its taking a chance on it being scrap if not sawn or bark removed.


So we got a few cut, some even fell over (always a problem when selectively cutting in a closely planted pine plantation), none trimmed or cut to length but once cut there is no rush for that. We may even cut a few more Tuesday when its forecast to be a mite warmer, I don’t really need a whole bunch more wood but so long as we are bringing in the sawmill may as well make it worthwhile. Now just got to figure out what size lumber I meed, will be mostly 1” boards but should cut a few 1 1/2” planks and possibly 3/4 for smaller jobs, whatever I cut will not be what I need next year when its ready so its all a guessing game eh.


But it was good to get out and DO something even if the old bones are now telling me that its going to be a while before I am back into summer “working” mode!


Here's to an early spring and a super summer..... Cheers!