BUILDING BRIDGES

This Thanksgiving
weekend we did the normal Thanksgiving thing. It was
wonderful. Good food, good friends, and a wonderful family.
Friday before we ate we spent some time in the back yard…

…trying to decide which tree needed chopping down. (Photo above….men trying to decide upon tree)

A few days ago my oldest son and I chopped down a small tree with a
hatchet. I was concerned about losing digits so I was afraid to
use the ax. I was amazed at how good it felt to chop down a
tree. I think the last time I did that it was with a chainsaw
SEVERAL years ago. I could just see myself dressed Little House
on the Prairie style gathering wood for the morning fire. I AM
WOMAN HEAR ME ROAR!!!

My son and I took turns chopping at the
tree. My four year old even took a couple chops. After a
few burning muscles, a little sweat and a few “ughs” we were rewarded
with the cracking sound of timber falling. It's been a long time
since I heard that sound. It was a very rewarding sound….,the
sound of hard work, of sweat.

Or course we had to have
something creative to do with our newly chopped tree so we decided to
make a bridge over the creek that leads to the woods.

Son #1 on our bridge

Of
course one downed tree led to another. My son and I didn't chop
down all of the trees. My husband helped too. Then Friday
our pastor got to experience the same thing as we added to the
bridge. He was also amazed at how good it felt. Something
about an ax, wood flying and something to show from it when you're done.

We
all got a lot of pleasure out of walking across our bridge once we'd
gotten a few trees in place. Even Little Kitty (he's not so
little, huh?) got a chance to try out our new bridge.

The
smartest one, baby girl, thought staying out of the way was a better
idea. We had such a great time. I found myself very
thankful for the strength to chop wood, and wonderful modern
conveniences like electricity, a warm house and boiling water on a
stove (not the Little House on the Prairie wood stove).