Splitting rounds down at the farm.

Took about an hour out of my morning to swing my new splitting mail and bust up some old wood that has been sitting on the grass for the last two or three years. Much of the top layer has pretty decent rot to it, enough that you can smell it as you approach the pile, but once I got down to the partially covered layers it toughened right up into good burnable fuel for the maple syrup operation at the cottage. I did run into two rounds that I was only able to partially split, so I set the remains aside for another day. It might require a steeper wedge, or a stronger set of arms. Either way I made a very slight indent on the pile. Only certain spots have been around for more than two years so those are my main attractions. I have no desire to fight with newer wet & heavy wood. My back can only take so much you know. Gotta be selective with where I place my efforts.

Truth be told at my pace of only being able to comfortably swing the axe for 45-60 minutes there’s about a months worth of work on just the really old stuff. Not counting the newer loads the tree services dump here, or the larger sections that need to be bucked into smaller more manageable rounds. Some of these look fit for a  milling machine, could get some lovely three foot long boards at two or three inches thick if you felt like it. I don’t, but you could.

I would totally spend an hour or two every day running a saw mill, along with splitting rounds. Work is slower than usual right now, so it would keep me busy, and stop me spending money I shouldn’t just because I’m bored. The dog gets a good long walk, and he can run around freely while I split wood with my trusty new maul. Hell he’d love it if I spent even more time at the farm milling wood, so that he could chase squirrels and bunnies and wander around off leash. It’s his favourite thing! Well, that and being at the cottage with all eleven family members, he likes that a lot too.

I do not have a particularly keen edge on the splitting mail because the weight and the wide angle wedge shape do much of the work. My shoulders and back do the other 50% of the work in swinging with a bit of umph! Behind it. My right bicep gave out first so I figured I should stop while I was ahead of the game. I started. I got my mechanics figured out. It all feels comfortable in my hands.  My only injury, such as it is, was a graze from a falling round that brushed my calf & shin leaving a very tasty red rash as a parting gift. I split that round almost immediately in retaliation. Felt good to go after it, little bastard.

At least I know what I can do with myself for the next several mornings while I wait for any paid work to materialize. Plus it helps build up my arm, shoulder and back strength. Might give me a meaningful boost when climbing! Who knows. Gripping all those wood chunks can only help strengthen my hands and forearms, so there is that too. Maybe after many more days of this, and trying to eat better I might see some weight loss, or a shift from fat to muscle bringing my waist size under control. Forget the big back, I’ve got a big belly. One I would prefer to lose and replace with more muscle, and a whole lot less fat.

It will take some time because I can only handle about an hour a day right now. I need to build up some stamina and additional muscle strength to go longer than that. Give it time, and effort and anything’s possible.

Have a great Friday. I plan to reward the kids with a trip to the driving range to whack the snot out of some balls for about 45 minutes. It’s a fun time, and a good way to let off steam. Ciao Bella!