Chopping Down the Cherry Tree

There's a lot of bad news out there in the world.  So much so that it can make you fearful or paralyze you into inaction if you aren't careful.  Tricia and I were talking about the fact that humor is so important.  It is nice to laugh, even in the midst of tough times.  In fact, being joyful is good medicine.

A joyful heart is good medicine, But a broken spirit dries up the bones.  Proverbs 17:22

I like to laugh and the following is (to me) a funny joke.  This is actually a joke that you can tell at church despite the fact that it is a "dirty" joke.  You'll understand what I mean once you read it.

There was once a country boy who hated using the outhouse because it was hot in the summer and freezing in the winter...plus it stank all the time. The outhouse was situated on the bank of a creek and the boy determined that one day he would push that outhouse into the creek. 

So one day after a spring rain the creek was swollen so the little boy decided today was the day to push the outhouse into the creek. He got a large stick and started pushing. Finally, the outhouse toppled into the creek and floated away.

That night his dad told him they were going to the woodshed after supper. Knowing this meant a spanking, the little boy asked why. The dad replied, "Someone pushed the outhouse into the creek today. It was you, wasn't it, son?"

The boy answered yes. Then he thought a moment and said, "Dad, I read in school today that George Washington chopped down a cherry tree and didn't get into trouble because he told the truth."

The dad replied, "Well, son, George Washington's father wasn't in that cherry tree."

See what I mean?  Don't you feel better already?

Another thing that can help you get your mind off of the Worry Du Jour is to just get out there and do something.  Something that causes you to exert energy. Something for which you can see the results of your efforts relatively quickly. That's just what I purposed to do this weekend.  In THIS POST from 2014 we talked about how a beetle infestation is killing some of our water oak trees and how we've had to cut them down.  Although I hate to lose these trees, the pecan trees will branch out with their canopy and occupy the space that these trees once held.

Well another water oak tree has succumbed to the same fate and it was time to bring it down.  This time I decided to chop it down with an axe - the way that George Washington did it, even if this wasn't a cherry tree.  Russ helped me get started.  I'd take swings until I was tired and then he'd take over.  Finally, the tree weakened by the chopping, started leaning and I was able to take a final swing and push in a direction to ensure it wouldn't topple over on the barn or garden fence. TIMBER!!!

Like a beaver chewed it up

Now it would have been much simpler to do this with a chainsaw, to be sure, but taking this tree down with an ax ended up being exercise for the mind and the body.  It also provided some tasty morsels for the hens.  The larvae of the beetle is a big, fat white worm.  While cutting through the tree, I pulled several of these worms from tunnels in the wood.  I threw them to the chickens and the lucky hen that snatched each one ran off with delight, trying to run away from the others before they pried it from her beak.  I was also able to chop the tree very close to the ground, to avoid having a stump sticking up out of the ground that one could trip on.

Farewell to the water oak tree

I held my breath a little as it fell as it came pretty close to hitting the garden fence. It hit the muddy, rain-saturated ground with a thud.  Now is where the fun part comes in.

Benjamin came outside and his job will be to cut the tree into smaller pieces and move it out of the way.  He began swinging away with the ax.  I told him that tasks like this eliminate the need for gym memberships or weight lifting.  He can build muscle mass and get in shape without paying a gym or purchasing equipment.  I recall splitting firewood when I was his age.

Benjamin bringing the ax down on the wood

"Chop, chop, chop," was all I heard as I walked off.  No rush.  I told him if he cuts up one or two pieces a day, the tree will be gone before he knows it.

Chop, Chop, Chop

Once the log is gone, I'll start looking for some grass seed to plant in the barren muddy area around the barn.  For now, I'll leave ol' "George" to finish cutting up the 'cherry' tree.  And lo and behold after just a little chopping, I had forgotten all about the bad news that fills every news report!