Growing up if I had time and a tree was near I wanted to climb it. If it was summer time I wanted to sit under it. If there was a hole in it I wanted to know what animal (or bird was in it.) I have sat and watched for hours before I got to see a squirrel pop its head out.
It always amazed me about bird’s nests, there are one or two birds that will built a nest or home with a roof but most have no roof. I guess for the eggs and baby birds mama is the roof. But in a many rain storm she certainly got wet. I know the daddy bird at times covered the eggs, but I wonder if he did in the rain?
I cut sling shot prongs from trees, bats for field ball games, and the Peggy stick, for playing a game we called Peggy. With the stick you hit a peg about 6” long. the game was to guess how many steps it would take to find the Peg. The loser had to ‘Root the Peg’ with his teeth after it was driven into the ground.
(This is the slab cut!)
At about 10 yrs old, I discovered a Saw Dust Pile. And got to see a saw mill in action. Those guys were fast, and that big blade was DANGEROUS. The round log was first made into a square by cutting the sides. The first cuts to square the log produced ‘slabs’. They were no good as lumber so back then they were free.
The sawdust pile was fun to play on after the mill shutdown and moved. It was clean ‘dirt’ and came out of your hair and pocket easy.
This is the slab pile
Now, every part of a tree is used. down to the bark which is used for landscaping. You could make wagons and scooters out of slabs. They made good tree houses, and great outside firewood for the black pots where the water was heated on wash day, and some clothes were ‘boiled clean’, but tofdsy even the slabs are chipped for forming chip board with a glue product..
I have always loved trees, the renewable resource.
Nite Shipslog
PS: I fell in love with the smell of fresh sawn wood as a kid and still love to go to a lumber yard and enjoy the smell. Sorta like a lady would like Chanel #5.
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A child should see what his daddy does…
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10 comments:
hi Jack...when I was a kid we cooked and heated with slab wood...there were always sawmills going somewhere in our county. yeah I like the smell of sawn wood too...way better than any perfume!
Kids' play was more fun when it required creativity.
I like trees too but not for the same reason as you, I guess I don't have a reason. lol I think I missed out on something in childhood. Playing is a sawdust pile. I think I would have liked that.
They were a saw mill on my dad's land not sure if it belong to him or not. We played in the saw dust many times, but I didn't like the feel of it on me, ha.
Haven't smelled saw dust in years, but you mentioning it, I could smell it in my mind, LOL :) Trees truly are wonderful indeed! Lots depend on them for homes, for building supplies, for warmth and shelter, etc.
betty
I love trees too. The smell of freshly cut wood is something I really like.
I sure agree, the smell of fresh-cut wood is intoxicating! Nice to know (by looking at others' comments) we're not alone.
Wonder if the cologne and candle companies might catch on? :)
There was a sawmill across the road from the ball field where I played little league baseball.
I spent a lot of time in those mountains of sawdust before and after practice.
Like you, I dug sawdust from every where...and I mean everywhere :)
Comments would not pull up last
night. I also love trees..If
I remember you wrote a poem about trees. "I think I shall never see anything as lovely as a tree" or something like that, can't remember all of it.
Trees are wonderful. There is nothing quite like the a shady spot under a tree in the summer time. Pine trees are the best smelling to me. Saw dust piles used to be as much fun to play in as sand boxes were. You jogged a few good memories with this post.
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