Right now I'm back "home". By that I mean the old 1BR unit in the human anthill where I've lived for way too long.

I did not get any logs or bring them back here. But the trip was not a total failure, either...depending on how you measure it, you could say the trip was a great success. (I wouldn't completely agree with that assessment)

Things I've learned in no particular order:

• Sometimes you do your best cooking when under stress. I was running behind...before I got the rental van & drove out to the land, I whipped up a batch of pasta sauce & used some of it to make a pan of lasagna with. Dunno how the latter tastes yet but if past experience is any guide, it will be good.
• Tree work will be even harder than I thought. This is as much due to my chronic conditions as anything else...I will still get it done. Even so, it will take a good long while. Tree work will blow you the fuck out.
• Corollary to the above: if you start to feel tired, take a break. 20 minutes to a half-hour should do. If you can sleep for an hour & still have sufficient daylight when you wake up, that might be a good idea. This is a marathon, not a 100-yard dash.
• Tree work is like farming: the weather determines when you can do it.
• I did not need to use my old mil backpack with the internal frame. It was too big for this kinda trip. Will use my smaller one next time. (They're both scavved packs, too. I found 'em by the dumpster in like-new condition!)
• Chainsaws can be temperamental... You must learn how to deal with your particular saw's quirks, in order to make it work for you.
• I bought motorcyclist jeans for this. They're not what professionals wear for tree work but they should do...they're kevlar-lined from knees to waist. I took out the kneepads after the first day. For my purposes, the pads are useless excess weight.
• My work boots do not have steel toecaps. One of my two books says you should always wear steel-toed boots when doing tree work. I've seen guys wearing regular shoes while felling, limbing & bucking...I want protection. The problem is that steel-toed boots are heavy. In this kind of work, you don't want to pack any excess weight. Gonna look for a better solution.
• My comforter/quilt & blanket worked as a bedroll when I laid down in the van, but an inflatable mattress would be better.
• Gonna pack in some food on the next trip, so I don't have to go out to eat & leave the property that often. It'll save on gas, money & time.
• My bringing in gallon jugs of potable water was a great idea...possibly the best idea I had for this trip.
• Nice neighbors are good to have around.
• The spraycan of insect repellent was a good idea, but it would be better to bring two.
• A combination Allen wrench is a necessity, also. If I'd had that at the time, I could've adjusted my saw's idle.
• Of all the things one does when felling a tree, the most important step may be the first one: take a good look at it & figure out what direction it's leaning in. Many--maybe most--trees lean slightly, especially tall thin ones. Doing this carefully will save you a lot of trouble in many cases.
• There are times when you should call in professional help. There are times when you should handle an unforeseen problem yourself. Those situations are not always clearly different from each other. It takes some thought...& most likely, enough experience.
• So far, the easiest traditional logging tool to handle is an axe with a 3.5-lb. head...however, I wouldn't want to have to cut down every intended tree with it.
• Am not at a point where I can reach definitive conclusions about this but, based on my experience so far, you do not need a file guide in order to sharpen the chain on your saw. Not if you can move a file in a consistent direction & angle. The one time I've done it so far, it worked quite well...I suspect the secret, as for sharpening every other tool, is consistent practice.
• Helmets are annoying to wear. Wear one when you're working anyway.

Doing this while coping with lower back/hip pain will be a big challenge, for sure... I need to find options for pain reduction that don't involve narcotics or pills you can't get except by prescription (or street dealer). Will have to do more research.

Yes, I have pics. If any of you want to see 'em, let me know & I'll put a few in the next post.

Be well, kids. Keep your noses clean; don't do anything I wouldn't do--or half the things I would do. ;-)