Saving A Little Red Pine

[quads]

During my wood cuttin' adventure today, I came across this little red pine being crowded by this standing dead black oak. I figured if I let the oak tip over on it's own someday, it would probably uproot the little pine. So, down it comes!

And now the little red pine is free to grow and flourish.

The snow is still as deep as ever, up to my knees mostly. Sometimes when I'm riding along looking for things to take pictures of, I drive right off the trail. And when I did that today, I still got stuck. I dropped this tree in a nice, easy spot to work on.

Standing dead oak with no bark, ready to burn? Not normally. This one was especially juicy inside (or icy, as the case may be).

Ah, woodchips on the old ATV!

There's just something about this familiar sight that makes me feel right with the world. Knowing that years from now this wood will keep my home and family warm, I had fun doing it, and it will also most likely keep someone else's home warm in exchange for a few bucks.

And finally, here it is, the moment I've been waiting for, my new SQUARE gas can that doesn't leap from the wagon at every opportunity like my old ROUND gas can! At least not yet.

 

[Adios Pantalones]

Are red pine rare in your area? I have seen areas in parks here where other trees were selected out to boost the red pine stands.

 

[bogydave]

Very nice pics.
You're a true steward of the woods

Wood is like a moose. You want to drop it where the 4 wheeler can get to.
If they hit the ground with a splash, you're in trouble. (Fact: from experience).

WOW High tech gas can! Does it come with low level alarm & GPS tracking/locator system?

 

[billb3]

That looks like a spray nozzle on the gas can.
I thought the accordian funnels with the "integrated vents" were clumsy.


I've been weeding the white pine out here. try to slice them down before they are 6 feet tall, then I need a saw.Hoping to help the hardwoods predominate. Won't see the difference in my lifetime, though.

 

[Bobbin]

Nice can, baby!

 

[quads]

Thanks for the compliments on my can! (I don't get many of those anymore.) That new nozzle design is kind of weird. It's not like the last new nozzle design they came out with, when I bought my 5 gallon can a few years ago, which I don't like. This new one pours really slow, which is just right for the saw. But if it was on the bigger can and poured that slow while filling the ATV, it would not be good.

Red pine are not really rare here, but they do not propagate well by themselves. Almost all red pine here are in plantations, planted specifically for pulp to make paper. This little guy was not in a plantation, and was not planted there, so he was a little bit of a rarity.