Jason Solodow
07-16-2005, 6:58 PM
Okay, I don't normally start this thread and I know the weekend isn't over yet, but it is for me. I have to fly out for Houston early afternoon Sunday, so Sunday morning will be spent packing. Before I tell and show you what I accomplished, I will tell you how there is such a thing as providence. I had a very rough week at work, and for dealing with it someone upstairs must have thought I deserved a reward. As I'm on my way to my part time job after leaving my full time job (already put in a 14 hour day) I'm stuck in traffic and it's raining. I look out my car window and see these two guys cutting down a tree, my first thought is 'been there, done that whole cutting in the rain thing', followed very closely by 'wonder what kind of wood that is'. Right as the stoplight turns green the guy starts cutting into the tree and all I see is red dust flying from his saw. I did a U turn and pulled in front of his house just in time to see the first branch drop off. It was some absolutely gorgeous Box Elder. I go up to the owner and ask if he's taking the whole tree down, he tells me yes. I ask him does he have plans for it, he says 'yea, we're gonna take it out to my friend's house and burn it'. Needless to say I visibly twitched at that remark (I live by the old saying 'don't burn it, turn it'. So I casually ask, 'you mind if I took some of it?' "How much you want?" he asks, I smile 'How much can I have?', "Take the whole damn tree if you want it", I said done, I'll be back first thing in the morning with a chain saw and a trailer. So, after five hours of very hard work, I came away with TWO 9'x5' trailers full of Box Elder. I see many, many bowls and tons of happy hours at the lathe coming my way... Here's pics of the load...
Oh, the one with the tape measure next to it, that measures 32" in diameter, and that's only have the trunk. We had to cut it in half to move it.... All told I came away with 14 crotches and 4 burls...
Oh, the one with the tape measure next to it, that measures 32" in diameter, and that's only have the trunk. We had to cut it in half to move it.... All told I came away with 14 crotches and 4 burls...