Hand-held sawmill and a boy in training...

Several weeks ago we had some alder trees cut down to clear a new pasture. Alders grow quickly but don't last too long. After twenty years or so, they fall down so it's best to be in control of the felling. Alder wood can be sold as lumber, so it's win/win. 

Jonathan's uncle owns a chainsaw that converts into a hand-held sawmill by simply adding a few attachments. It's a wondrous gadget. Kevin and I went up to see how Martin and Jonathan were doing and we were amazed at how efficient the system is. It takes them 20 minutes to create a clean, square trunk and another 20 minutes to cut more or less 20 boards of about an inch thick (depending on how big the square trunk is).

The three amigos: Jonathan, Kevin, and Martin

We also fished for our customer, Gonzalo, on Friday. He brought his son to help and his young grandson to watch. They perched him on top of their truck's roof to observe the process: an apprentice in training. He just sat there quietly, observing, pointing and asking questions. This is how they do it here... they teach by showing. No child seems too young to learn.