View of our homestead from the forest
Living surrounded by the state forest sounds pretty nice to most people. Most of the time it is. But there are a few things about it that are not pleasant. One of them is that the Department Of Conservation sells wood to logging companies and private citizens for firewood. Not that I mind them doing that, nope, it is just the process of them getting the wood out and transporting it.
Across the road from our house
Many of the trees in the state forest around us are now marked with blue or orange paint to designate trees being sold to various logging companies or individuals. We do not know exactly what the marks mean. Some of the trees are very small elm trees. Not much good for firewood or lumber. Maybe they are marked to warn them not to knock them over or damage them. I know it means that it will open up the forest a bit and will allow more sunlight in to hit our solar panels. It will also be good for the trees themselves to be thinned out a bit.
Trees wearing the mark of blue paint!
For the most part, our road is pretty quiet after labor day, until hunting season. Then after hunting season not much traffic at all during the winter. Our road is maintained rather well. But people just don't come out this way much during that time. If we get a lot of snow, we do get snowmobilers as our road is a snowmobile trail. If they start the logging process soon or right after hunting season, that will not be the case.
Our little traveled dirt road
The logging trucks will come in early in the morning, like 6:00 AM, and I am not kidding about that! The men will be operating big heavy equipment that goes into the forest to take the trees down. We have even seen them use a machine that works like giant scissors that cuts the tree right off. So all those heavy logging trucks, heavy equipment trailers loaded with the equipment, not to mention the loggers themselves who drive back and forth several times daily...............a lot of traffic on our small dirt road.
Sunlight streaming into the forest
The other thing that will take some getting used to will be the noise. They will be very noisy all day. We are not used to noise out here. It is very quiet and peaceful all day. Our horses are used to it being quiet, but they will adjust quicker than we will. They will probably enjoy having something to watch all day. My cats are used to going out in those woods, but I am sure they will be wary of the loggers, and not venture out as much. If it is colder though, they will be staying inside more anyway. So we'll see what happens. Maybe I'll get some good pictures of the logging process!
Copyright © 2011 Kathleen G. Lupole
All Photographs Copyright © 2011 Kathleen G. Lupole
4 comments:
How close to your house will they be able to take trees down?
I agree with you - the forest will get thinned and that will mean more light for you (and your panels.)
Annie, they will be taking some of the trees directly across the road. I know they are experienced loggers so don't expect any big ones to fall on our house. But you never know!
Hmm have you thought about setting up a grill around lunch time & selling plate lunches I mean as long as you got the traffic, lol.
Across the road - then, I think you will be happy with the extra light that will let in your yard!
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