July 4th Horselogging and Fun

It seemed like the skidding demonstration went OK up at the hockey rink, and the hitch-cart that Don Noyce framed up for me worked beautifully. I had never hitched Bess and Julie to it before, and we took it in the arena, and walked through the 90 degree turn, the 360 with one wheel inside the circle and one wheel through two parallel PVC pipes, also backing between two barrels and knocking a pipe off the top of two buckets. Driving through three gaps in a curve was also part of the course. It was fun to try to do all that with my new cart. Then we loaded up the trailer I also got from Don and it was time to go in the parade with the Obama drummers. We won first place of all the entries. It was well-attended for the little Fourth parade it usually is.

On up to Maple Hill to take out some trees from the pasture where the team stayed last winter. Two birch and three maples that were/are dying. Lots of nice firewood, and a few saw logs even, though the birch had lots of knots, and heartwood which I think has lots of color, but no one seems interested in for woodworking. I bought a band-saw box from Dan at the Farmer's Market which was made from spalted birch I sold him. It's very nice. I don't like cutting wood in the summer. It's too hot. The boat slide construction in Hovland went very well with Scott, but now I am anxious to get back up there and finish it. A lot of wood to saw and pile, man.