The Gift That Keeps On Giving

Black walnut

As most of you will remember, a few months ago we had quite a few trees felled in order to reclaim our once spectacular view. We thought of it as our anniversary/Christmas gift to ourselves.

Writing the check was a little painful but this was our view last December and this below was taken yesterday.

Lots of fog all day but a view, nonetheless.

All those trees ended up in a giant's pick up sticks snarl. (Having the tree guys deal with the fallen trees would have upped the price to out of our reach.)

So John and Justin set in on reducing the tangle to manageable bits -- an ongoing process.

Poplar and black walnut

Lots of firewood -- too green for use now but just wait till next year! The above is only a start -- as I said, it's an ongoing process.

Black walnut

And when the weather was too wet to work outside, John took some of the green wood to his shop, started his lathe, and began turning.

Black walnut

And turning . . .

Black walnut

And turning.

Hickory

Christmas gifts for friends and family . . .

Black walnut

And some put by for future occasions . . .

Hickory

The hickory pieces combine sapwood that looks (to me) like ivory with calligraphic squiggles and a rich reddish brown heartwood.

Black walnut

The black walnut heartwood is deep dark while the sapwood is almost white.  

Black walnut

Some of the black walnut pieces are all dark . . .

Black walnut 

Some have odd bits of the lighter wood . . . and some have quite a bit.

Black walnut 

Every piece reveals something new. I love the fact that any one of these might have been firewood.  And that John loves making them . . .

Hickory