This weekend, I was finally able to find time to clear the trees that had fallen across the trails in our woods. I had wanted to get this done a month ago, but a combination of bad weather and other projects delayed the work. April is the best time for tree removal, as the weather is cool and the vegetation has not yet started to leaf out and grow. But, the task slid to mid-May.
And, of course, the forecast was for rain. With sprinkles starting, I loaded up the UTV with a chainsaw, safety equipment, and miscellaneous gear and headed out.
After a typical winter, it always feels amazing that there are any trees standing at all. The previous weekend, I had gotten a start and removed the maple tree that had fallen onto a deer blind. I moved down to the next fallen tree, a large cherry tree. It had fallen across a section of trail that was covered with multiflora rose, a prickly and invasive plant. Working slowly so as not to injure myself, I alternated between limbing the tree and hauling brush into the woods. I set aside a few logs to try and get some material to carve a spoon, since cherry is supposed to be a pretty wood to work with.
When the cherry tree was removed, I noticed that it was raining a little harder, and that between the rain and the water on the leaves, I was soaking wet. Since it did not seem that I could get much wetter, I shrugged it off and moved to the next tree. I was not sure of the species, but it had fallen across a section of trail that was at the lowest point of the property. Two other trees had also fallen in this area. I slowly removed the brush and wood, spreading it in the woods to break down and return to the soil. These trees had fallen late last year, and blocked the trail in an area where it is difficult to re-find the trail once you step off. Two days earlier, Maggie, Maxie and I were hiking and ended up on a game trail that led us in the wrong direction and we got a little lost. Or, as Daniel Boone once remarked, “I have never been lost but I was bewildered once for three days.”
I finished clearing this section, and headed back to the house to rest and dry off. I had one more tree to clear, and headed back out in the afternoon once the weather cleared a little. As I wrapped up this final tree, I noticed a small plant flowering near where I had been spreading brush. At first I thought it was a wood violet, and did not think it worth investigating further. However, the flower looked a little more pink than a violet. Walking over, I was shocked to see the 4-inch tall plant was a woodland orchid - Showy Orchis. It is one of three plants pictured on the cover of my 30+ year-old Peterson's Guide to Wildflowers. I had never seen one of these before. I knelt down and studied the little plant. It looked like a couple of leaves had been eaten, but there it was, a small orchid growing in our woodlot. I said a small prayer, finished up my work, and headed home, tired but thankful for spending a day in the woods.
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