Writer's Circle: The Tree

Here's the third in a series of writings by the participants of the Baysville Writers' Circle, facilitated by Melody Richardson, and held at the Baysville Library the last Wednesday of every month at 9:30am.

The Tree
by Kim Lambert – February 2011

We looked up at the tree, tall, majestic, but in its last stages of life. It was time to take it down.

“Where do you want me to drop it?” I asked my grandson and his father. “I can drop it wherever you want,” I added, proudly and confidently.

Grandson Nick looked up at me, almost worshipfully, and, pointing out a direction, said: “Can you drop it right there, Grandpa?”

“Sure can, Nick. Just you and your Dad move to the side a bit.”

With a bit of a flourish I picked up my 18” Stihl chain saw, pulled the starter the requisite five times until the engine fired, donned my goggles and ear pads, and proceeded to make a horizontal cut about two feet from the ground. One-third of the way into the tree I stopped, shifted the saw, and made a vertical cut to intersect with the horizontal one. All was proceeding well.

“Time to make the final cut,” I shouted to Nick and his Dad. “This’ll drop the tree in the direction where I’ve made this V-cut.”

Moving to the opposite side of the tree, I began to make an angle cut to meet the opening I’d already made.

“Watch it as it starts to fall.”

Sure enough it began ever so slightly, and then more swiftly, to fall – in the opposite direction.

‘Pride goes before a fall.’ (Proverbs 16:18 – abridged)