A nice day for chainsawing
By Judy Evans
@JudyEv (325759)
Rockingham, Australia
February 6, 2018 6:26pm CST
Yesterday we took the chainsaw down the paddock and cut down several eucalypts which were starting to get near the power lines. As the trees are on our property, it is up to us to keep them pruned away from the lines. We have a small trailer and a longer lower car trailer (one you can put a car on).
We tend to use the car trailer now as we don’t have to lift the limbs so high to load them. It is a matter of pride for me to load the branches while Vince is cutting them down. Mostly by the time he has finished there is very little left for him to load. The photo shows the second load of limbs. The first load was much bigger but of course I forgot to get a photo of that one.
The big trees you can see in the background are on the neighbour’s property but one day they might need to be trimmed back too. We have more chainsaw work to do but will leave it for a day or two until Vince’s shoulders recover. We’re certainly not as young as we used to be.
25 people like this
24 responses
@Freelanzer (10745)
• Canada
7 Feb 18
Must have been a pleasant smelling job. I love the smell of eucalypts and wish I had a tree.
3 people like this
@moffittjc (118442)
• Gainesville, Florida
8 Feb 18
I just bought a new chainsaw, but have not had the chance to use it yet. After Hurricane Irma hit last September, I realized I dodged a major bullet since no trees were downed on my property. But I wanted to be prepared in case another hurricane hits in the future. I've been keeping my eye out for sales and discounts, and finally found a great deal on one recently. Now I'll be ready for the next time a hurricane hits.
1 person likes this
@moffittjc (118442)
• Gainesville, Florida
10 Feb 18
@JudyEv It's nice that you have a continual supply of firewood that you can cut up and keep on hand! For that reason alone, it's great that you have the chainsaw handy! And I can totally relate to your comment about them being hard to start up sometimes! Of all my tools and equipment I have, it seems my chainsaw is always the hardest to start!
1 person likes this
@JudyEv (325759)
• Rockingham, Australia
11 Feb 18
@moffittjc There is a squirty thing you can squirt into the carburettor which is supposed to help an engine fire up. There are several brands but I love the one that's called 'Start Ya B*stard'. This must be said dozens of times a day in Australia by men trying to start lawn-mowers and chainsaws.
1 person likes this
@JudyEv (325759)
• Rockingham, Australia
8 Feb 18
They are very handy although they can be really difficult to start sometimes. Because we try to source our own wood for our winter fire, the chainsaw is more or less essential. Every now and then a tree comes down on our property and promptly gets sawn up and stacked up to season. When there is a storm I sometimes walk through the bush and if any trees have come down and we can get to it we'll saw that up too. We're not allowed to cut down timber in the bush but we can cut up stuff that has fallen.
1 person likes this
@much2say (53959)
• Los Angeles, California
7 Feb 18
@JudyEv Hiring tree guys is expensive - at least out here. Did Vince climb on a tall ladder? It was unbelievable that the guys we used simply climbed the tries like monkeys but with ropes and such. That's something I wouldn't dare do these days - and certainly not with a working chainsaw in hand!
1 person likes this
@JudyEv (325759)
• Rockingham, Australia
8 Feb 18
@much2say These were small trees and Vince just cut them off at the base. He would never climb a ladder with a chainsaw. We have a small electric chainsaw but we didn't have access to power down the paddock although we could have taken a generator down. The tree guys seem to be fearless don't they?
1 person likes this
@JamesHxstatic (29242)
• Eugene, Oregon
7 Feb 18
California has many eucalyptus groves, those trees are one thing I miss about the state.
1 person likes this
@JamesHxstatic (29242)
• Eugene, Oregon
8 Feb 18
@JudyEv Oh no, I suppose not, but I love that scent.
1 person likes this
@teamfreak16 (43421)
• Denver, Colorado
10 Feb 18
Those are some big trees! Just how tall are those power lines?
1 person likes this
@JudyEv (325759)
• Rockingham, Australia
10 Feb 18
At a guess the power lines might be 8 metres (26 feet) above the ground. We wanted to take 'our' trees down before they got too big for us to handle. As it was, it was a bit of jungle where they fell and we left two of them where they were. They'll rot eventually - and provide homes for lots of little animals and insects. So that's a good thing isn't it? 
1 person likes this
@yanzalong (18984)
• Indonesia
7 Feb 18
Do you live around there? Looks like a peaceful area.
1 person likes this
@allknowing (130066)
• India
7 Feb 18
We depend on labour for this kind of work. I admire you.
Do you extract oil from those leaves. I tried it once and the whole house smelled of oil. I did get a little. It was just an experiment.
How to make Eucalyptus oil from leaves. Eucalyptus leaves are highly beneficial for our health, and their antiseptic and astringent properties protect us against common respiratory diseases such as the flu or colds. Its expectorant properti...
1 person likes this
@JudyEv (325759)
• Rockingham, Australia
7 Feb 18
I read how to extract oil and it seems very easy. But I wouldn't use enough of it to warrant making it. I have a bottle of eucalyptus oil and I've had it for years so I don't really need any more. But thanks for the thought. I'll know now that I can make my own if i want to.
2 people like this
@andriaperry (116860)
• Anniston, Alabama
7 Feb 18
I am the grounds keeper too, while people cut I load. Usually its free help so I do what I can too.
1 person likes this
@JudyEv (325759)
• Rockingham, Australia
8 Feb 18
I call myself the TA - technical assistant. Vince says I'm not really a good TA as I'm too mouthy. I say he doesn't pay me enough for me to keep my mouth shut.
I say he doesn't pay me enough for me to keep my mouth shut.
@JudyEv (325759)
• Rockingham, Australia
8 Feb 18
It wasn't a big tree and Vince cuts the branches into my size pieces. I wish I'd got a photo of the first load as it was twice as big.
@thedevilinme (3904)
• Northampton, England
7 Feb 18
aussie girls cant wait to get the big stuff oot
1 person likes this
