3 down, 20 something to go

When I bought my chainsaw it came with a bit of gas in it already. There was a note attached from the company saying they had to test that it actually started the first time, so that is why. After I chopped up the fallen tree on Mr.O's land, there still was some gas remaining, so I though to myself, let's cut down some trees and see how hard it is.

It's not big, but it does the job

In my "bamboo" plot I think there are 25 or so sugi trees. I intend to cut them all down except for one which is right at the road nearby. It is useful as a marker to show where my plot is. If I cut them all down, there is a risk that cars gradually start driving more and more into my plot.

Before

Some of the 25 are small so I decided to start with those and work my way up. That way, I would get a bit of practice before getting to the real big ones. The two smallest ones could easily be cut down, just by noticing how the leaned and stand behind it and saw. One of them had rot in its core, more than half its total width so it was pretty hollow. Interesting to see how rot felt to the saw and also a bit how it affects cutting it down. The third one I cut was a little bigger so I cut it like a real tree, by first cutting a triangle out into it where it is supposed to fall, and then cut from the other side.

I didn't really need a wedge yet because it was still pretty small in comparison. After I chopped those 3 up, I ran out of gas.

So next time, after I have burned most of the bamboo and the plot is clear to felling trees on it, I will buy gas, and wedge, to start cutting the rest of the trees down.

After. Can you see which ones I cut?

Tidying up more

I had trouble sleeping cause I kept thinking about one tree in my other forest plot that had broken during the typhoon and it had fallen over on Mr. O's plot.
He just showed it to me in passing and said he wasn't really doing anything in that plot anyway so I didn't have to hurry removing it. It has now been there more than 3 weeks, and every time I pass it I kinda feel guilty.

The broken tree

Zoom in where it has fallen

It is pretty heavy, and some of its branches have dug themselves deep into the ground as it fell, so it is pinned down properly in place. My excuse so far had been that I didn't have a chainsaw etc but that doesn't work anymore.
So, in the morning, armed with my brand new Husky chainsaw I went to see what could be done.

Me in my lumberjack gear

The chainsaw cut nice and smooth like knife in butter. It felt great. I cut the trunk up in smaller bits and dragged them away to my plot. Actually used them to mark the border better.

Trunk, divided

I hope Mr. O gets happy when he sees his plot is cleaned.

Tidy

Tidying up a little

Went to the woods and cleaned up a bit more around the fire area, and lined it with some old bricks I had lying around in the garden.

Now it looks safer

The mosquitoes were really having a feast on me, and I took the opportunity to make a nice and big fire to keep the bastards away.

Bloodsucking vampire

With the mosquitoes gone, started sorting out the bamboo, piling them up on the north side in a nice square, and also pulled out the worst of the weeds, and burned the bamboo nearest to the fire area, so the circle around there got wider and wider. After I was done, poured 20 liters of water on the fire to make sure it was put out properly. (Got a plastic watering can from the garden which I was not using, and took rain water from Mr. K's plot. He said earlier that it's OK)

I can almost have a campfire

So the burning of the wood have now officially begun. Let's see how long it takes...

The ring of fire

The bamboo plot is pretty overgrown with huge weeds, and nowhere to access the middle part where I had "reserved" for burning things. Also the typhoon had messed up my nice pile of bamboo in the north, as well as added a few more bamboos that had fallen over from the next door plot. So the first thing to do was to clear all that and make a path to the middle.
Spent one day cutting and cleaning the typhoon bamboos that were just hanging in dangerous angles, and put them on top of the pile in north. Also removed a lot of weeds and more bamboos that were lying on the ground and made a path to the middle.

facing south. Can almost distinguish the round fire area in the middle

facing north looking at the bamboo pile

And the next day it was suppose to rain. So I figured it would be perfect to make a fire. Instead, it turned out to be one of the hottest sunniest days this month, with no rain whatsoever. I made a tiny fire and started burning bamboo.

Just a few minutes in

While it burned, I worked moving bamboos around a bit and removing more weeds and widening paths. I burned bamboo for 3 hours before I felt I am about to pass out from the sun. So I put out the fire and went home.

An hour or so later

Trashland

I did order a Husqvarna chainsaw and it arrived just before the weekend. So armed with that and all ready to deal with the fallen trees blocking the path to my plots, I headed to the woods.
Just to see this.

Well what a nice surprise

The trees had all been cleared off and the path nice and clean. Well somewhat. "Great!" I thought and continued further to see if they had cleaned the path all the way to my bamboo site.
Before I got there though, looking closer at my plot on the left, I noticed something..

Ah come on!

Whoever the kind soul was who had cleared the path, had dumped ALL the trees into my plot. Just a nice impossible-to-sort heap of trees. I can't even go in there anymore. And those weird angles they are lying at, and the high places they are, I wouldn't dare challenge with my chainsaw. I think they cut down 2 trees inside my plot at most. One of them was already an old broken tree maybe only 4-5 meters tall. But the rest of the garbage they dumped in my land are the huge trees that fell from the land on the right side, all the trees along the path were nicely cut down and moved into my plot.
Asked around a little and it turned out the owner of the land where all those trees had been asked some company to clear the path, and that company apparently just found it very convenient to use my land as garbage dump.
So I continued asking around and got his name (Let's call him I.-san), found where he lives and walked there and knocked but there was no one home. Anyway, tried a couple of times later and at night when it got dark he was home. So I introduced myself, thanked him for clearing the path and explained the situation to him. He said he had asked the company located right next door, apologized and said he will go to the site tomorrow to have a look and will then ask the company to take the garbage somewhere else. I got his number and gave him mine just to be sure.
The 2 following days I was working in my plot but didn't see anyone come look at anything so I may need to remind him if nothing happens in a week or two...
So...back to the path. It was actually clear all the way to my bamboo land so I got to do some work.

Almost impossible to know there was a typhoon

Kitty TV

The night after the typhoon there were a lot of tiny tiny flies outside. And of course the lizards were out to feast on them. One of them found a good spot on our kitchen window and was chasing flies and eating.
Of course my bored cats were very thankful to have something to look at

First only Oreo saw it

Close up on the cute lizard

After a while both cats were admiring it

It has actually been happening 2 nights in a row now.

Post typhoon forest

I took a stroll to the forest early in the morning after the typhoon. On my way there I could see many trees had fallen down and houses were messed up and people were out cleaning and fixing their homes and the streets. So I feared the worst. Actually kind of hoped the worst, something like wouldn't it be nice if all the trees in my plot had fallen down so I didn't have to cut them myself...?
When I arrived in the woods, the path leading to the forest plots had become blocked by fallen trees.

First glance. My untouched plot is in the back on the left side 

A closer look

I had to walk to the other side by stepping into the Mr. O's flat field. I'm sure he doesn't mind.

From the other side

So now I was getting hopeful. 25 cedar trees in my "bamboo" plot. Surely half should be down?

Broken trees

Of course, I was also thinking that with all the bamboos and the other trees so tight together, the typhoon must have turned into a pretty weak wind. So only the trees in the edges are fallen. Not in areas protected by bamboo groves...Anyway, moving on...

Oh no... the path cleareth

Just as I suspected. Deeper inside the woods the trees had been protected. I passed my "untouched" plot, and then Mr. O's fruit forest plot (well he just planted 4-5 saplings this year)

My bamboo plot is straight ahead

Hmm... looks like all the cedar trees were still standing

Some crap in the path, but the plot itself is pretty clean

Yep, all the trees are still there.

The trees weren't even half the width of some of the trees I saw broken on my way there. The wind simply didn't reach them here. Maybe another good sign that it's a good place to plant trees. Or maybe once I have cleaned out the surroundings, it will become exposed and vulnerable. Who knows. I should keep a balance I suppose.

Bamboos

The remnants of the shredder were still there as I had left them. The bamboos I had gathered in the north were all there still, more or less. Only now there are more because some had fallen over from north side plot. Oh well I was gonna cut those down anyway.

Froggy still here

That's it. On my way back to the path I saw many of these green tiny frogs in my bamboo plot. Plus a few of these green bugs that I don't know what it is.

Looks like a civilized cockroach

I hope either the city or Mr. O clears the path next to his plot soon...

Mr. O's plot

Right now it's pretty tough to pass... demotivating especially for a lazy ass such as myself.

I don't dare walking near those

To conclude, here is an attempt to "panorama" the blockage...

Photogenic.

Panning to left a bit

And more...

Turning around...

...end of panorama swipe

Mambo Nr.5

Typhoon nr 15 came and went. Strongest in many many years according to the locals and the news. The garden made it through though, luckily the only veggies I still had going were the tomatoes which have all fallen down. Otherwise, the mess after the typhoon is hard to distinguish from the mess before the typhoon. The only change is that all the small pine trees are now leaning trees.

I will probably just cut them down some day soon anyway

Easier to pull out the roots now I suppose

The chicken run door was wide open. But thanks to my good craftsmanship the chicken coop door had held. The only thing was that the chicken coop's roof rubber cover had blown off, so the narrow and long opening between the roof's two halves had become exposed, letting the rain and the wind into the coop. Poor chickens were terrified and a bit wet but still ok in their coop. I let them out and gave them food. Very slowly and hesitantly they came out and forgot all about wind and rain as soon as they saw their food. I fixed their roof isolation. Other than that, not really so much damage. The saplings all made it through, and so did the trees and bushes. The walnuts had started to lean just a little bit but I fixed that by pushing it back into place and stump a little on the soil on one side, and then tied the whole thing together with a bit of rope. The passion fruit trellis had fallen over but thankfully there was a wall behind it so it didn't fall all the way. I fixed it back. Good thing it had already dropped all its fruits.

The passion fruit started to wrinkle

I think the passion fruits were now ready to eat, so cut them open and they were super tasty. A very nice comfort after the bad typhoon.

Juicy and sweet. Hope to get many more next year.

Passion falling

The passion fruits are falling off one by one all by themselves. They are still very green when they fall. I looked it up and I am supposed to let them ripen after they drop.
The fruits are very fragrant and the longer I wait the stronger the perfume. The cats are extremely interested too. Not sure if it is because they think these are balls or toys, or if it is the smell. But they are there all the time when I am not looking and playing around with the fruits. Dropping them to the floor and rolling around with them and biting them, although they have maybe fifty better toys.
So I put the fruits in a net and hanged them in the kitchen. That way they are still out and can dry/ripen/whatever with air flowing around them and not too humid so they mold. Hopefully it is somewhat cat proof too.
Only after less than 2 days, the fruits started turning a nicer color.

Slowly turning from green to red, like a traffic light

The last one fell off the branch 4 days after the other 2. Here is what they looked together, almost 5 days after the first two dropped. The two old ones are deeper red, and the new one can show the color progress in such short time. Still the skins are smooth so now I have to just wait until they start wrinkling.

This year's harvest

It is only the first year. I heard from my colleague that from second year onward when the tree becomes bigger it yields much more fruit. I just need to protect it from the frost so it doesn't die like the one last winter.