Monday, January 05, 2009

Winter Work on Dragonfly Pond Farm

The local farmer who makes maple syrup is logging some trees on my brother's property. Something about the syrup lines. So, in the deep mid-winter, the farmers work is never done.

The muddied road they created to get into the woods. I can hear a chain saw in there but am not going to get any closer.

They have cut quite a few trees in the last few days.

Here, the trunks dangle in the jaws of the backhoe?

It is kind of exciting really. My brother's land goes down the hill into the forest as far a the stream. I am envious.

27 comments:

Elizabeth said...

Trees, like the sea are utterly beautiful - but sometimes dangerous too.
Beautifully observed photographs.
Do hope you will find somewhere lovely to live.
Have you ever thought of living abroad for a little while? It sort of shuffles the brain and give one a new perspective.

Tess Kincaid said...

Suki, these are fantastic photos. The majestic trees against the snow are so lovely. I especially like the last one. It reminds me of my gg grandfather tapping his maple trees.

marianne said...

Your brother has a lot of property. Beautiful, can imagine you´re a bit envious. But I think you would be better off in the sunny south.......

Dianne said...

Dear Suki, once again, your photo's show the beauty of the countryside around you. The snow still looks fairly thick, that tree felling must be very cold work!
I hope you have started thinking about where you might go - you could do a bit of searching on the internet?
Love Dianne x x

Blue Sky Dreaming said...

Wow, this is exciting watching these backhoes move heavy logs. It looks clear and cold. Where is the pond?
Have you been researching any heart's desires...places you think might be perfect? I always said I wished for a university, an ocean, a small town feel with big city shopping nearby. Do you wish ocean, mountains, city, town?

Cris, Artist in Oregon said...

You many be envious but It takes work and money to keep up property. Sometimes it isnt all it's cracked up to be.
Why are they cutting down the trees? Do they get maple off your Brothers land too?
I think you would probably be happier south too. You missed the place you came from while living there. Living abroad you wouldnt be able to take your two kitties.
hmm my word verifaction is lobsa... does that tell you something. lobster...grin

sukipoet said...

Elizabeth, I would like to go abroad however i am muchly a coward and probably would want to get a condo or small house first to stash my stuff in and to return to if I can do so.

Willow, all this work the nearby farmers do is fascinating to me. It makes the place come alive.

Marianne, Sunny south in the winter anyway.

Dianne,You should have seen my snow photos from last year. We had snow almost every day and feet and feet of it. It was amazing, even the locals thought so. I am "hooked up" to two realty companies one in the south and one up here who send me notices of places for sale. Not much happening right now though. I have done only some small thinking around this matter. I do some internet searches but I can get obsessed with them too. Get overwhelmed by all the possibilities.

Blue Sky D, My brothers property is on two sides of a dirt road. The side where they are logging has a stream. The pond is on the other side of the road. I do like living near at least a college of some sort. Of course I love the ocean but a pond or lake would be okay. I have debated for years between city and town or even country living. Each has benefits. My problem thus far has been I can't make choices.

Cris, I forget just why they have to cut the trees. My brother told me. But something to do with the maple syruping. Yes, they tap my brothers trees. For years, they were of course Mom and Dad's trees, and they got free maple syrup.

~Babs said...

Very interesting post.The syrup thing is fascinating, although I know next to nothing about it.I only know it takes a LOT of sap to make a little syrup.
Do you know,,,,do they replant trees in place of these, or is that the idea,,,to get these trees out of the way of getting to the sap trees?
I too would think you'd feel better settling into a warmer climate, but maybe that's just because I would!
In so many ways it could be very exciting, your situation,,,a sense of adventure,,,starting new.
Do you have any desire to go back to the cape,,,where you already know people, and have friends?

Katiejane said...

Oh, this always saddens me. I hate to see trees mined. I know we can grow more, and we need the wood, yadda, yadda, yadda....but I just hate to see them destroyed. In the neighborhood where I deliver, they just yank them out of the ground, roots and all, to make way for a new house. I cry.

kj said...

wow, suki, you really are in the woods abit, huh. since i'm a new englander, i can "see" your surroundings.

Teri said...

What a fantastic story with words and photos. It looks so beautiful there.

Cynthia Pittmann said...

Winter cold and winter work so beautifuly captured, Suki!

Karen Salva said...

This is a flashback. We did this last winter but not because of syrup. We had to "thin" our woods and "harvest" some trees for a better/healthier forrest. Think pruning or weeding. It looks devastating at first after the thrill of the powerful machines is gone, then a few years of a little stress then some major turnaround and healthier trees. I call that thing (backhoe) a cherry picker but think it is officially a "forwarder".

When we had it done, we did all sorts of trees and they set up on our land across the street right close to the road. When they dropped the trees in the pile to cut the house shook. They were mammoth! The saw...amazing! The best part was in the spring I had more beautiful mulch than I could use and under the mulch in 70 degree plus weather there was still ice!

Anonymous said...

I don't know, but it makes me sad whenever a tree is cut down :-(. Of course I use things like paper and books, I just hate it anyway.

Lynn Cohen said...

I saw this earlier today but was too busy at work to comment.
The trees look so serene laying on the snow covered ground...I hope they dont have to cut too many.
I remember your getting maple syrup last winter. Has it been that long already?
Enjoy your time there.

Jude said...

I love maple syrup but know nothing about how it's made??? The scenery is very dramatic with the snow and huge trees against it.

Mary Richmond said...

the cut trees look so sad and lonely there on the ground...and your pictures are wonderful and evocative of the place....

San said...

Gorgeous photos, as ever. I love the flash of warm color--the vehicles--against all of the winter white and brown.

sukipoet said...

Ok I will try again to comment. I commented on about 4 replies this morning and it wouldnt upload. They just disappeared. Grrr.

Babs, They wont replace these trees. They are cutting a pathway, I found out, into the woods to erect a larger vat into which the sap flows. so they want the path cleared. I might possibly return to the Cape if I can find a place that is not too expensive.

sukipoet said...

Katie Jane, it is sad to lose trees. I like builders who leave as many trees as possible. But guess it makes the building process harder, I dont know.

kj, it is the total boonies. Trees, trees and more trees...and a field and pond and crick.

Teri, it is beautiful.

sukipoet said...

thanks Cynthia.

Karen, great story. I know they are not thinning the trees in order to thin them, but I think it will benefit the trees left, having more room to grow. Trees are amazing. that is so cool about the mulch and ice.

sukipoet said...

Annie, do you know the story of the woman in Africa who planted thousands of trees, she and other women that is. I think she won the peace prize one year.

Lynn, Maple syruping happens in the spring. that's why it seems closer than you think. There looks to be quite a few trees cut down to me. Some lovely birches too.

sukipoet said...

Jude I did a post on the maple syrup process last spring so maybe I'll repost it or link to that post.

Mary, even worse than this really, which seems to be proceeding in an orderly fashion with chain saws, was the backhoe I saw just ripping trees down and mashing them on a hilltop nearby. For what reason I dont know. I thought maybe to clear the land to build but no building has occurred. Just so disrespectful to the trees, I could hardly bear to walk past.

sukipoet said...

San, yes those red trucks and blue are lovely. The machines are so powerful too against the delicate snow.

human being said...

yes it really enlivens one's spirits to watch people busy working...

the photos are really nice...

the bench in your header is a very suitable place to sit and think about where to go and dwell...
:)
love

Andrea and Kim said...

Suki, these are great photos to be sure. I think your place...where you can make decisions about your property...is out there waiting for you. Travel sounds fantastic...and you have friends all over the world, too. How much fun is that? Oh, you have so much to look forward to in 2009!

sukipoet said...

human being, that is a wonderful bench. I guess my brother put it down there. It must have been awhile ago as the bench is quite weather worn now.

Kim, it is true I must look outward into the world, rather than downward at my toenails. I used to feel I should stay near home due to Dad then Mom. But now they are gone.The world opens up to me. Thank you.