A Day Late, a Dollar Short, Yet Wealthy Beyond Measure

Posted on October 22, 2017 by Mark Zeiger

Sitting in the wreckage of yesterday’s activities, I’m torn between two important writing projects: this blog, and commenting on the looming University of Alaska Timber Sale (see Something New to Worry About).

I’m beat, feeling shy, introverted, and uncommunicative. I need to keep up the blog while figuring out how to write one of the most important letters of my life. I’m feeling a day late and a dollar short, yet I can’t help but marvel at what a rich man I am, in the best sense of the term. My riches may not be measured in dollars or consumer goods, but I’m a wealthy man nevertheless.

First, I woke up thinking I was late for commenting on the UA timber sale, as the deadline was tomorrow. When I went to the site to pick up links to send to some friends, I found two important new bits of information:

  1. The comment period has been extended to November 22nd.
  2. The mailing address to which comments should be directed has changed!
Lioni n Winter cast planning

We plot and plan . . . cast planning session in the October sunshine (Photo: Sarah A. Zeiger).

Continue reading →

Posted in Seasons & Celebrations | Tagged , , | Leave a comment

30/30″

Posted on October 18, 2017 by Mark Zeiger

I didn’t mean for it to become “A Thing.” We need firewood for the winter, and we’ve had a large standing dead tree above the cabin for some time. I wanted to cut it down, and didn’t want to wait for help.

So, I felled a 30″ diameter spruce tree with my 30″ bow saw.

Since the tree’s diameter exceeded my saw’s size, common sense dictated that I cut down the tree with one of our two-person saws. I quickly realized that, while I can use these saws alone to buck up felled trees, it really does take two people to make a horizontal cut in a standing tree. That meant waiting for Michelle or Aly to have a day off, and, ideally, decent weather for the project. Short of either of those two, I got started with my usual wood cutting tool, taking on a tree whose diameter matches my blade length. 30/30″.

Actually, it’s a bit worse than 30/30. The 30″ blade offers only 29″ of teeth. The extra inch allows for mounting.

Felled Tree

A man, his saw, and his firewood (Photo: Michelle L. Zeiger).

Continue reading →

Posted in Homesteading | Tagged , | Leave a comment