Finding Value

We have a never-ending supply of firewood at our place.  It isn't intentional; the firewood is a bi-product of clearing trees from unwanted places like fence lines.  Some of what you see in the picture is quality wood that will make a good, hot fire while other pieces are less desirable and produce lots of ash while burning quickly.  What you see here includes oak, elm, cedar, bois d'arc, persimmon, honey locust, pecan, ash, hackberry and I'm sure, other species that I am unable to identify.  Oh, and this is only one of the woodpiles on our place.  There are several others.

Much of it has come from trees that have fallen in a storm and landed on a fence.  One of the best investments we made when we bought the place was in a Stihl Chainsaw.  I had tried other brands, but nothing beats the durability, reliability or ease of operation of a Stihl.  Yep, they cost a bit more up front, but when you consider they will outlast a half-dozen of other brands, they are a bargain.

Ummm....back to the trees that fall during storms.  Why is it that the ones that fall are the biggest ones around?  Those large chunks of wood you see in the foreground of the photo are about 16" in diameter.  They were from a single branch of a large tree that fell across one of our fences.  It took several days of work getting that particular tree reduced to firewood and several brush piles and the wood hauled off.  Even worse, it was on a stretch of fence that is difficult to access near a creek.

Strange as it may seem, I enjoy working down in the woods with the chainsaw.  Yeah, it is hard, sweaty work and tires me out more than I like to admit, but there is something satisfying in the labor.  I have no desire to go out and cut down a tree just to turn it into firewood, but if a tree falls, I feel that it is almost an obligation on my part to salvage what I can from it for other use.

I'm sure there are plenty of life lessons to be told here such as finding value in the bi-products of our labor, or in re-purposing things that no longer serve their original purpose.  I didn't set out this morning with those things in mind.  I merely realized that I'm proud of that pile of wood.  Along with its building, came a satisfaction in my own labor to create it.  It isn't anything spectacular like a work of art, or a house, or a business; it is simply a pile of wood.  It has yet to serve the purpose of providing heat for a home, or fuel for a campfire, but it is the fruit of much labor.

No matter how humble the task, there is value in our labor.  We each should learn to recognize and appreciate that in ourselves and in others.  The guy that digs the ditch needs a pat on the back just as much as the one who designed the highway.  Take time to show appreciation to those who labor quietly in those many jobs that never get the attention.  They need to know that others recognize their value.