Sunday, April 14, 2013

100 year old trees

They were planted by Bob's grandparents when they built their new house in Orange.  I have the old black and white photographs, showing Florence sitting under the arbor, surrounded by holly hocks.  She planted the trees.  

It is almost 95 years later.  Bob is dead, as is his grandparents and his parents.  I am the inheritor of the house with the trees.  I thought they were fir, but I was wrong.

Hurricane Sandy blew one down.  I was lucky.  It went down parallel to the house.  The only damage was a dented gutter.  The problem was its twin.  Its root system was now compromised.  Those 2 old trees have stood all this time with their roots interlocked.  The twin has to come down.

I've owned the house for about 20 years.  When I inherited it, it was a mess.  There were broken windows.  Animals used the house as a winter refuge.  There were pine cones every where in the house.  The roof leaked.    I hired Joe to help me bring the house back from the brink.  He did a fine job.    One of the last things to get rehabbed, was the floors.  They came out  looking beautiful.  Joe admired them.  He said to me that when this house was built, people laid oak or maple or cherry floors.  The Bearmores put in the cheapest floor they could.  Over time, the floors have aged to a beautiful honey color.  They are beautiful.  Joe said that the 2 trees standing on the east side of the house are of the same variety.  I never forgot his remark.

Now it is time to have them cut down and cut up.  I remember what Joe said.  I am turning them into flooring.  They will not be chipped up or turned into firewood.   I asked the company to cut them into 8 and 10 foot lengths.  They did.   The logs lay on the front lawn all winter.  What is the next step?

The tree company gave me the name of a sawmill.  I called the mill and talked to Randy.  Randy told me that Ben will haul the wood to the mill.  Yes He did. 

Two days later, I am at the mill meeting Randy for the first time.  I get instructed on what can be done with this lumber.  It isn't the same as the floors in the house.  My trees are spruce, but still a good wood.   Randy and I agree that He will cut out several "bar tops"...thick slabs  for a bar....and a think slab for something else....and counter tops for a kitchen, possibly for Beth and Don.  There will be lumber for wainscoting, for framing.  I will have a stack of lumber that will fill a one bay garage to the ceiling.

It is early spring.  Randy is also a nurseryman.  This is his busy season, so I will have to wait.  My logs will sit for at least 2 months before they are sawn.  that's OK.  I will wait.

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