9 August 2011

Bob LaPorte arrived a few minutes before 8:00 with the first of what would turn out to be four loads of bank run gravel needed to backfill around the shed cellar hole.  Tammy Walsh arrived somewhat later.  The three of us spent a very productive day laying rocks.  By quitting time the car turnaround area retaining wall was done except for a course of capstones.  All went quite smoothly until a few minutes before Chree and the dogs arrived.  We decided that three medium sized maple trees had to be removed in order to have the car turnaround area be the desired size.  Ace lumberjack Bob used his excavator to simply knock them over, roots and all.  Where they fell blocked Tammy’s Kubota from exiting the work site, so I took the Jonsered in hand and started bucking the trees into lengths.  When I cut the root ball off the end of the largest tree the root ball tipped back upright.  Unnoticed by me, that root ball was attached to the adjacent tree, which also promptly resumed an upright position… right where I was standing.  That upstanding tree smacked me pretty good on my already hurting right side, sending me tumbling to the ground.  Fortunately the Jonsered has a chain brake, which my fall activated… saving me from serious injury.  Unfortunately, as I fell somehow my right hand came in contact with the recently professionally sharpened so very, very sharp chain, which resulted in Chree finding a welcoming puddle of blood in the RV sink upon her arrival.