Sunday, June 14, 2009

Men And Their Chainsaws...Part I

Growing up on the farm on Cherry Fork Road was a lot of fun. I've mentioned before that we raised tobacco, had a HUGE garden, dabbled in the hog business and had a few cows and chickens. We had a tractor, a wagon, and a manure spreader as well as various lawn mowers, rototillers and chainsaws.

Give a man a chainsaw and it's like giving candy to a fat kid. They don't know when to stop.

My dad loved his chainsaw. I don't remember what the name brand was but it was yellow and matched his pickup truck. Throw in a Kool cigarette dangling out of his mouth and a John Deere hat perched on his hat and he was ready to do some sawin'.

One of the stories he used to tell was how he cut fence posts with his brother for about 30 cents a day. They didn't have a chainsaw back then, they used an eight foot blade saw with a brother on each end.

When it came time to do smaller logs, they would switch from saw to axe. My dad could swing a mean axe, his brother, not so much. In fact, the story goes that my uncle was swinging the axe and the blade flew off and cut my dad's little finger off. I'm not sure which pinkie it was because he had both of them cut off at different times. But that's a different story.

Anyhow, I remember the year my father got his new chainsaw. It was Father's Day, 1974, and let me tell you, that saw was needed. A late spring thunderstorm had blown through and there were trees everywhere...

3 comments:

Sheila said...

Chainsaws not just for men. As I was taking a walk a week or so ago I stopped dead in my tracks as I saw one of my neighbor ladies who is in her middle to upper 80's outside in her driveway, sawhorses in place, goggles on and chainsaw a squeeling. I gave her kudos for her spunk. Who says there isn't life after 40?

Nanny Goats In Panties said...

Ouch to the 2 pinkies.

Yeah, men....something about the urge to destroy things.

Margaret Hall said...

I could just visualize your Father with the description and colors that you wrote...And, losing two pinkie fingers..OUCH~!!! Whew, sounds like a busy twosome...The senior wielding the saw, might have gotten tired waiting for it to happen, and took matters into her own hands...lol....Will be back to read Part 2...

Share/Bookmark

LinkWithin

Blog Widget by LinkWithin