Coming back to stack more logs, I count about 140 rings on the red oak (Quercia rubra) that was taken down recently. I suspect the true age of the tree is closer to 150 years given where on the trunk I started the count.
Some years the rings are broad, indicating lots of rain and nutrients and others are quite thin implying the opposite.
This means that the tree started growing sometime around 1870, two decades before my 1899 barn/house was constructed. It was here growing when there were cows and horses on the property. But given that it was one of the largest trees in the area, it emerged after the hill was clear cut during the 1800s.
The air is still thick with the smell of sap as I labor to move the logs. Smaller pieces were ground up leaving me with ones having a minimum diameter of at least 12 inches. The largest are over 24 inches.
I struggle with these behemoths that likely weigh north of 200 pounds. My stack stays pretty low to the ground. No yellow jackets bother me as they have long since died off and I enjoy the crisp air absent of other insects.
