Opportunity #2: When Opportunity Knocks... continued

Well, tonight was the night that we were going with my brother to check out that big ol’ maple log for $500.

After about a 15 minute drive we reached the Mennonite community and turned down a gravel road (which of course in this weather is now a mud road). The scenery was beautiful. I live in the country but our farm country isn’t like that beautiful area (only about 1/2 hour from where I live).
There was a beautiful little “valley” wrapping itself around a winding creek (The Little Otter, I do believe) and it was dotted with willows, and some horses here and there. We passed by a few children who were making their way home from perhaps school.

Finally we made it to the sawmill and yes it was a sawmill—there were 3 long rows of logs: big beautiful logs. They had a big crane to move the logs around and inside the long shed was their saw. Outside there were also some piles of 4×4’s. And then, there on the one pile was the big, big log. Yup, that was big!! And beautiful.

“Levi” came out and talked to my brother for a moment and then my brother told him that we would let him get back to his work. My brother then laughed “giddilly” (I know that is a lumberjock word, I’ve seen it before). “Ah… sorry,” he said, “I guess I’m not much of a woodman. I was sure it was maple”.

Back in the truck and back home we went, re-acknowledging the beautiful landscape on our way. Back at his home, my sister-in-law asked, “so what kind of wood was it?” My brother replied: “Well, my hands are still sticking together after touching it—- pine. it was “just” pine. That’s why it was such a good deal.”

Further discussion came to the agreement that Levi himself had told my brother that he had a log of maple.
But alas it was not to be.

But Rick did see a beautiful creek for flyfishing so it was not a total loss!!

-- "Functional WoodArt" by Debbie, Canada (http://www.execulink.com/~yohan)