A summer storm and next winter's wood

During the summer there was, apparently, a mini-tornado just north of Kendal, with trees brought down in Selside and the lower parts of Longsleddale. Some barred roads and paths, broke walls, and rocky debris swept into the road.  Without any official announcements, locals mustered loppers, chainsaws and ropes and set to work to clear the way. I was invited up to help clear a bridleway and to ensure that the weight of the trees did not further damage the wall.  The meadow by the River Sprint had two standard ash trees fallen in it, creating three small fields, rather than one. Carefully removing side branches and brash, we worked our way down the trunks, chainsawing them into massive cheeses to be split later.  Finally we reached the base of one tree at the mill race: the final, largest bit of trunk defeated us. It awaits a crow-bar lever and several people to pull the rope.

Much more solitary is log splitting,

which only requires patience, a steady rhythm and time, rather than anyone to help. 

Over two days, an enormous pile of cheeses gradually became wedges and now sit under a tarpaulin, waiting to be taken to a former bobbin mill to dry and be stored.