Cutting Down the Schoolmarm

Working in wood requires that someone works in the woods. Whenever a woodworking project gets under way, it has been preceded by someone getting the material that is to be used from a tree in the forest to a piece that is dry enough and of an appropriate size. I am the third generation doing such stuff on the property my grandfather bought nearly a hundred years ago. His was the last generation to essentially live off the land. He was able to make some money by cutting ties and props for the coal mines in the Scranton area. His tools were axes and crosscut saws. By the time my father began working in these woods, the coal mines were no longer in need of timbers and the tools had become faster and mechanized. The chainsaw revolutionized the business of getting trees cut and local sawmills turned the logs into boards that eventually found their way into buildings and furniture. From my teenage years on, working in the woods was something enjoyable and although I've never made my living from it, there is some satisfaction in knowing that, had I chosen to do so I could have.

One of the things I learned along the way was some terminology particular to logging. If a limb broke off and stayed hung up in another tree as one was being felled, that limb was referred to as a widow maker. The possibility of that limb falling as the wind loosened it up gave rise to the rather appropriate name. Another term that I learned doesn't have so obvious an explanation. A tree with a double trunk is called a schoolmarm. The best explanation for that name that I have is that such a tree is likely to out smart you when you try to fell it. Recently my son and a couple friends agreed to assist me in the task of taking down such a tree near our church. There was much nervousness on the part of our pastor in that there were a few directions in which, if that tree chose to fall that way, the results would have been less than optimal. The tree came down just about exactly where we planned and the parts of it that were sound enough are now reduced to 2 by 8's that will eventually find their way into some useful product of the workshop. For this time we outsmarted the schoolmarm. But make no mistake. Just as each of us is designed a bit differently so are each of God's creations. The next schoolmarm may go her own way. If we are wise, we respect the individuality of people and trees and not fool ourselves about how much control we have on either.

Signs of Love

Being brought up in an area that has an abundance of natural beauty has been something I try not to take for granted. It is never a mistake to spend time outdoors enjoying the trees and critters that populate the area here in northeast Pennsylvania. So when my wife suggested that we spend a couple hours walking the trails at Bushkill Falls the other day, I agreed that the idea was a good one and although, as usual, there were several projects that competed for the time, we drove the two miles or so to what is arguably one of the most popular tourist attractions in The Poconos. Because of the cost to maintain the several miles of trails in the attraction the cost to visit has risen over the years to a point where I would rarely make the trip. However, the policy of management has been for some time that people who live in the area should be able to visit free of charge. The zip code on our driver's license proved to be all that was needed and we spent the next hour and a half descending into the beautiful gorge formed by the Little Bushkill Creek and, of course, climbing back up on the opposite side of the stream for the return trip. I am blessed to have a wife who is pleased when I do something like this with her and the adventure gave us an appreciation of the natural beauty that surrounds us.

Finding something new or out of the ordinary always makes an activity like this special. As you may already know, I have been active in The American Chestnut Foundation and am excited whenever I find a Chestnut tree that has not yet succumbed to the blight. When Jen and I had dropped down in the gorge to about the lowest point on the maintained walkway, there clinging to the steep cliff side was an American Chestnut. It was not very big, but it was definitely a healthy young sapling. I wondered how many people walked by that little tree not knowing what a rare thing was exposed there. I took it as a sign that the Chestnut is trying to persevere and that efforts to introduce a blight resistant strain is worth the time and effort folks are spending. Being able to still negotiate the trails, being able to do so with the one I have promised to spend my life with, being able to see signs of love by our Maker and for one another, for all this I am grateful.

Drying Out

Making lumber is a process that requires considerable time and energy. Being able to work through the entire journey from tree to finished product is something not many folks get to experience. One part of the process that many people might not consider is the need to get fresh cut lumber dry enough to use. When a tree is first milled (cut into boards), that material is as much as 30% water. For some purposes, it might be usable in that condition. If, however, you wish to make a piece of furniture that won't fall apart, the moisture content needs to get down to about 7%. That means stacking the boards in layers with strips of wood (stickers) between the layers and covering the stack with something to keep rain and snow off. After a year or preferably two, the stack can be moved indoors for final drying. Unless one has access to a kiln, the drying process simply takes a lot of time. The tree that's cut into boards today will likely be incorporated into a table, desk, or whatever a couple years from now at the earliest.

There are stacks of lumber as described above sitting around is several places on the property. The latest ones having just been topped off this week. This woodworking stuff in its entirety gets spread out over a long time, much of which is simply waiting for the wood to dry. As I got thinking about the nature of this process, it occurred to me that much of our lives are like the stacks of lumber, slowly getting closer to the point where they can be used in a purposeful way. I firmly believe that we are all in this world with a God-given purpose and when we figure out how He wants to use us, we need to prepare and use the talents and resources He has provided. In the meantime, we might find ourselves just like those stacks of drying lumber. We're getting closer to where we need to be in order to be useful. In order to do woodworking right, patience is required. We need to wait for the lumber to dry. As God prepares us, again patience is necessary. There's a good chance that some of the lumber I stacked up this week will be used by someone after my life is over. And that is another analogy between woodwork and Christian living. If we are concerned about others, we don't worry about drying only enough wood for ourselves.

ourselves.