Firewood Gathering Season Once Again

M

munk

Joined
Mar 22, 2002
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I'd put it off long enough. Winter is coming. We have no wood. I gathered the 25" AK and the Beat to all Hell 20" Villager, put them into BEATER TRUCK (71 Ford; you wouldn't notice if it hit another tree) with a couple boys and went into the woods for wood. Cut two trees down right across the road. Had to debranch fast out of courtesy for anyone coming by; sure enough, nice clean truck rolled through just as I threw over the side the last broken branch.

First tree was 10" across. Number two probably 7. The fingers on the right hand spasmed into The Claw because they were weak and unused to this. My arms weren't used to this. My lungs weren't used to this. The boys ran around being boys until Tim- Brrr time and I got them the heck out of the way. I cut the trees into twenty foot lengths or so and piled them into the truck. On the way home I found some downed trees left by BLM and cut and loaded them also.

Beater Truck had a crown of pine cones from a single twisted upthrust branch, rising defiantly from the bed. You know serious wood cutters don't bother with cones, bark, and kindling.

The Boys and I always have fun when we go cutting. They get out, and I get exercise. My fingers are tired enough that typing is stiff, and tomorow I'll hear from the spine about what the disks think of wood cutting.

ONe of these days I'll figure out pictures.

The 25" AK hit the dirt several times and injured the end. Last 4 inches on this blade are soft. I haven't looked it over yet but the cutting portion of the blade appears to have done fine. This AK is one of the AK lite variety, being some 3.5 pounds or so. It has a beautiful shape and curve as only Sanu could do quite the same way. An elegant blade. I felt pretty good about it taking a licking. Yvsa had kindly reground the very thin edge for me. I'd been concerned about a breakage.
Yvsa, it does not stick in wood anymore- it cuts wood and pulls out fine.




munk
 
Ferrous, you'd be even more tired if you realized I was just an average guy- you're bigger than I am. And no, I haven't grown any muscles to compensate. I know you admire Sanu- I'd have let you fell a tree with one of his.



munk
 
Ah yes, firewood season. Time to get out the classified adds and look for "Firewood-delivered-stacked". Such a chore. I'm glad it only comes once a year.
 
munk said:
This AK is one of the AK lite variety, being some 3.5 pounds or so. It has a beautiful shape and curve as only Sanu could do quite the same way. An elegant blade. I felt pretty good about it taking a licking. Yvsa had kindly reground the very thin edge for me. I'd been concerned about a breakage.
Yvsa, it does not stick in wood anymore- it cuts wood and pulls out fine.

munk
Click to expand...
Really glad to hear it Munk! I'm glad it made a woodcutter for you.:D
The original edge was just way too thin! If the edge had been thicker I would've put on a full convexed edge convex instead of just the edge alone.
Doing so would have improved it even more!:D
 
It cut good- though I found like all khuks, (and tools) there was a point at which you actually lost cutting ability by striking too hard. Always good to relax and realize you'll get through the log when you get through the log.

Benaround- I can buy 'cords' of wood fairly cheap- 70 bucks is cheap- but we are talking a Pickup truck full, rarely a true cord, and the wood is cut green on the Reservation. So I'd have to buy a year in advance to dry it. Besides, I need the exercise.

IF you haven't cut down a tree with a khuk yet you've missed a neat time.


munk
 
Munk,

Are you cutting dead trees? Around here if you cut a green one it wouldn't have time to dry for this season.

I have tons of downed oak. For 5 years I had a friend who was down and out and we let him live in a cabin on our place that was wood heated. He took a lot of them. Now it's just us here and the wood is stacking up. We have a gas well on the property and get 200,000 cubic feet free per year. Also if the elect goes out we have gas lights and 2 gas refrigerators in the cellar house.

Used to love to help my pal cut wood though. Something fun about doing outside work with a bunch of people. One of my favorite feelings is putting logs on a log cabin. Here is this big tree you could never pick up by yourself and fifteen people bend down and pick it up like it was nothing.
 
No, it is illegal to cut green trees on public property. You can cut green on your own, of course, unless you live in a place where you can't wipe your nose without permission from the Enlightened Ones and their Bureacracies.

Hollow- how much is 200,000 feet of gas? Enough for a neighborhood, or just you?

We listened to the music you sent me as we traveled to Wyoming this weekend. Most of it I enjoyed very, very much- it was like resuming my music search. I do want to know who sings, "Halleyolah" (sic) near the end of one of the disks. There is a group at the beginning of one of the disks I'd like to get some albums by. There is indeed a great firefighting song you'd told me about. IN fact, if that's a true story, I'd like to hike to the graves.

I would like to know what happened to the Zydeco, Man? Where is my Zydeco?

Hollow, you share a trait with a late friend of mine who was deeply into music; He favored female vocalists.

Oh, the rendition of the Thompson song, Vincent 52, was not better than the orginal by Thompson. It did fulfill a kind of rule about redoing a great song; if you can't do it differently, don't do it at all unless it is a cover. It was good. I tell you what though, they should have used his guitar refrain for the bridge- in blue grass tongue that would have been outstanding.

thanks for a great listen.

munk
 
Munk,

So you got some National Forest there or something you can harvest firewood from I guess? Very cool.

If the song is the one I am thinking of that is from a somewhat obscure album called "I'm Your Fan" it is a Tribute to the songs of Leonard Cohen by various artists. Hallelujah is sung by John Cale formerly of the Velvet Underground.

The firefighting story is true. Just heard a thing on NPR about it a few months ago.

Let me know the other song you want to know the title of.

Did you like that Old Joe Clark song? Dated, but funny I thought.

Like so many things, we'll have to agree to disagree on the 52 Vincent Cover. ;) Of course I am a major bluegrass head so that may cloud my judgement :cool:

Glad you liked them! I saw some great music yesterday. Nanci Griffith, The Indigo Girls, Asleep At The Wheel, Judy Collins, and Willie Nelson.
 
http://www.firehouse.com/wildfires/1999/0801a.html


"On Aug. 5, 1949, the Forest Service crew completed their jump into Mann Gulch between 3:50 and 4:10 p.m. and were joined on the ground by forest ranger Jim Harrison, who had been alone on the scene for hours digging fire lines.

The single radio that was dropped from the airplane with them smashed on impact, cutting off the crew from outside communication.

The men were heading down the gulch toward the Missouri River when flames flared up below them and jumped across the ravine.

The men quickly realized their predicament. Flames were racing up the steep slope toward them. The only escape was over the ridge. They dropped their gear and ran.

The fire overtook them one by one. Eleven died in the gulch, where temperatures probably reached 1,800 degrees, according to estimates possible today. Two more died in a Helena hospital.

Only three smokejumpers survived -- foreman R. Wagner ``Wag'' Dodge, at 33 the oldest member of the group, who lit a back fire and lay down in the burned-out area as the main fire skipped over or around him, and two teen-agers, Robert Sallee and Walter Rumsey, who found refuge in the rim rocks high above the slope. "
 
God, I thought it was John Cale. My ear is still good.

Jennifer Warnes does a couple Cohen songs better than the writer. Mary McCaslin did the Beatles Blackbird which was really worth doing- but I don't know about better. It was done in bluegrass/modern. The V52 was very well done- and different, but in my opinion not even close to the original. I'd say you just like Bluegrass.

Joe Cocker's "A little help from my Friends" was better than Ringo's version.

Hendrick's 'Watchtower' was better than Dylan's.

You can almost count on two hands artists who have surpassed the original creation. I suppose unless you're talking about a guy like Townes Van Zandt- his songs are made to order for a better voice surpassing his ability.

Margo Timins and her Canadian stoner group did Sweet Jane better than Lou Reed. Even old Lou admitted as much.
MY favorite Lou Reed Album in Songs for Drella with Cale.

I'd say you have a "Folk Music Soul". I guess I do too, but I'm weary of this generation and the sort of soft 'spirituality" garbage. The tree song in the CD's made me a little ill.

I really don't want to hear any more yuppies tell me about their approach to God- or the lack thereof. It makes me maudlin staring into my Cappacino. (I don't drink that stuff- just an allusion.)

Anyway, some darn good stuff there.

Incidentally, Tom Waits does a rendition of a Disney song that is great. It is on a CD I don't see anymore- other artists doing Disney.
I love Waits, but am disgusted with his standard program- including in every album a parody of Christians or Christian beliefs. He is a interesting guy, with lines coming from a very deep place- Jungian archtypes and Old Testament visions. He is a good candidate for one day espousing a belief in God. Who'd a thunk Dylan would have converted either?

Of all the Cash you could have picked, from a career rich in singing gospel and faith in the Lord, you play the I don't believe, Slow Train number.
Yee gads.

Thanks again though. What a great experience it is to listen to someone who is savy about music putting together a favorites collection. YOu can't beat that at the store, I'm telling you.

munk
 
Old Joe Clark eh?

"Old Joe had a yellow cat. it neither sang nor prayed.
It dipped itself in the buttermilk jar and washed it's sins away."
 
Munk, you mentioned two blades I don't think I have ever seen. I have a 26.5" Chiruwa AK, but it weighs at least 5 pounds, or at least feel like it. I could maybe get 2 or 3 swings with it double handed before deciding to switch to a saw or an axe. However the 3.5 pounder sounds ideal. (I've never seen a Sanu blade.) Also I don't recall seeing a 20" villager before. That sounds like the perfect workhorse. It is an AK correct? I think I have a 15" villager AK, but believe that would be too light for the work you are doing.

Thanks for the info. I will have to start paying more attention to Villagers when they show up; hopefully we will see more of them.

Regards,

Norm
 
I am going to see the Cowboy Junkies in a couple weeks. Probably my favorite Townes cover is the one they did of "Lungs" I saw live a few years ago. I don't think any of them are stoners though. They are essentially a family band. Have you ever seen them live? They are actually pretty innocent and cleancut. Surprised me.

That's funny you percieve the Tom Waits gospelish tunes totally difft. than me. Like that Waits song Cash covers I think that shows the concept that nobody is beyond redemption. Look at Johnny's life. I think that's why he chose that one to cover. And the Come On Down to the House reminds me where in the Bible it says that his house has many rooms and he goes to prepare a place before us. I didn't really take it as mocking. I guess if something speaks to me I just interpret it how it helps me the most and don't really read a lot into it otherwise.

What's the tree song? I can't remember?

On the broader point you make about artists and their approach to God I don't agree with all of it but I don't mind it.

I think that to a large degree music has replaced religion. That comment that John Lennon made a long time ago he caught so much crap about has pretty much come true.

I think part of it is a natural outgrowth of our lack of time and desire to be entertained without having to do anything back. The other is the fact that religion is no longer engaging people. You look at the snake handlers and the holy roller folks. Those people are keeping it real, but so much is just a shell of what it once was.

Used to be the circuit riding preacher would come thru and the whole area would show up and there would be an emotional service and healing and a general uplifting of everybody.

Now the musical group comes and everybody goes out to see them and leave uplifted(hopefully) People have that desire genetically programmed I believe and something will fill it. I think that's one of the reasons spiritual lyrics are so prevalent. I don't think the artists(most of them) are consciously doing it. I just think it's a natural outgrowth of lack of religion and living in an overmaterialistic age.

Did you like the John Renbourne group stuff? I think I put Ship of Fools and Travellers Prayer(a good mediaeval Christian/Paganish tune) on there.
 
I found this quote from Mythologist Joseph Campbell that kind of get it:

"" I had a marvelous experience two nights ago. I was invited to a rock concert. ( laughter in the audience) I'd never seen one. This was a big hall in Berkeley and the rock group were the Grateful Dead, whose name, by the way, is from the Egyptian Book of the Dead. And these are very sophisticated boys. This was news to me.

Rock Music has never seemed that interesting to me. It's very simple and the beat is the same old thing. But when you see a room with 8000 young people for five hours going through it to the beat of these boys ... The genius of these musicians- these three guitars and two wild drummers in the back... The central guitar, Bob Weir, just controls this crowd and when you see 8000 kids all going up in the air together... Listen, this is powerful stuff ! And what is it ? The first thing I thought of was the Dionysian festivals, of course. This energy and these terrific instruments with electric things that zoom in... This is more than music. It turns something on in here (the heart?). And what it turns on is life energy. This is Dionysus talking through these kids. Now I' ve seen similar manifestations, but nothing as innocent as what I saw with this bunch. This was sheer innocence. And when the great beam of light would go over the crowd you' d see these marvelous young faces in sheer rapture- for five hours ! Packed together like sardines! Eight thousand of them ! Then there was an opening in the back with a series of panel windows and you look out and there's a whole bunch in another hall, dancing crazy. This is a wonderful fervent loss of self in the larger self of a homogeneous community. This is what it is all about !

It reminded me of Russian Easter. Down in New York we have a big Russian Cathedral. You go there on Russian Easter at midnight and you hear Kristos anesti ! Christ is Risen ! Christ is Risen ! It's almost as good as a rock concert. (laughter) It has the same kind of life feel. When I was in Mexico City at the Cathedral of the Virgin of Guadeloupe, there it was again. In India, in Puri, at the temple of the Jagannath- that means the lord of the Moving World- the same damn thing again. It doesn't matter what the name of the God is, or whether its a rock group or a clergy. It's somehow hitting that chord of realization of the unity of God in you all, that's a terrific thing and it just blows the rest away."
 
munk said:
The 25" AK hit the dirt several times and injured the end. Last 4 inches on this blade are soft. I haven't looked it over yet but the cutting portion of the blade appears to have done fine. This AK is one of the AK lite variety, being some 3.5 pounds or so. It has a beautiful shape and curve as only Sanu could do quite the same way. An elegant blade. I felt pretty good about it taking a licking. Yvsa had kindly reground the very thin edge for me. I'd been concerned about a breakage.
Yvsa, it does not stick in wood anymore- it cuts wood and pulls out fine.
Click to expand...
It sounds as if Yvsa and the Kamis did a great job. I think the blade should be soft at the tip area if there is any chance it is going to be hitting rocks and dirt. Being soft makes it easier to burnish and/or file the tip back into shape, and minimises the chances of big chipping or cracking of the blade.
 
Hollow, music will never replace God.
An expression of music can reveal God, delight in God, weep about God, remind of God, can not replace God.
I feel a little sorry for any one who loves a woman, music, Art, TV, the environmental movement; in place of God. All things can be a part of God, and are, but not replace. That's sort of Forest for the Trees.


I mentioned Waits standard God-mock in every Albumn. I did not say Come UP to the House was one of them. I think Waits might surprise us some day with a song that is not God mock, but God love.

Where you and I come together on so many things was evident in the music you chose. Thanks so much again. I will listen to them for a long time.
........

I see Rusty really is the archivist of all things Americana. If I were an Alien I'd pick Rusty's brain and play the results on Big Screen.

>>>>>>>>>>>>>

Swashtar, the 25 AK is ideal. It swings fairly hard and quick. I can swing it for a long time. It cuts fast. It out cuts the heavy 20" villager by a wide margin. It is for felling and some difficult branch work when you have the clearence. You can't use it for delimbing as it is too long.

I mention Sanu because Ferrous always admired him so much. This blade is very beautfull- the wood would make a woodchuck chuck. The actual shape and style in the blade are delightful. I wish I had a photo.

The edge was too thin- I believed I would break it and did not want to do that. Yvsa reground it down to thicker profile, and now it cuts sending big chips off and pulls out easily. It used to stick.


munk
 
Oh Hollow- Cowboy Junkies may be a wonderful band, and an innocent family, but in my experience people who write songs about heroin usually have done it. Margo also toured with one of the big trailor trash countrymusic folk hero's- geeze, the name eludes me. I rather doubt his blood stream was entirely pure at all times.

Now this is an interesting subject, because my favorite, Gillian Welch, writes wonderful gospel and 'Jesus" Songs. She always writes wonderful heroin addiction songs. never figured that out.

munk
 
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