Life in Maine (Part IV: Near Doggy Death)

We almost killed a dog today.

Eric and I headed out into the woods to clear some land. He's planning on putting a wood shed, which we'll soon build, out on one side of camp, and needs to clear an area for the new construction.

Unfortunately, it seems that the forested area, which he only bought three years ago, has not been cared for in quite some time. And so, as I've recently learned, dead trees abound.

Dead trees could mean destruction for the woodshed, and so it is our job to get rid of them, by whatever means necessary. We had spent the better part of the afternoon getting rid of a few--cutting them, leaving a "hinge" so that they fall in the right direction, occasionally hooking them with a chain to a winch and physically "encouraging" them to move.

While we were working on our last tree of the day, before heading in to cook dinner, Eric's dog Kita came over to say hello. We shooed her away, but she continued to hang around. The winch hooked up to the tree, Eric began to crank. The tree began to fall, and I yelled to warn him to move.

He moved quickly and looked back. The dog was directly in the path of the tree, standing there a bit confused as to what was happening. We yelled, and the dog slowly moved as the tree crashed within four inches of her. Four thousand pounds of wood came within inches of her, and she walked away unscathed.

It was very lucky, both for me and the dog, because Eric said that "it would have crushed her right in half. And then I would have had to shoot her. Finish her off."

Very lucky. I think perhaps my lesson for the day would have been a bit too advanced.

Some guys staying here at the camp today asked Eric if he was "turning me into a country boy." He told them that I was doing a surprisingly good job, and maybe he would do just that. It's funny, because people can tell immediately that I'm not from around here, and seem to assume (correctly) that I don't have a clue as to how to winch up a tree or drive a backhoe or cast a fly rod.

But I will learn all of this. And yes, I will be a country boy by the end. I'm even supposed to try a moose steak within the next few days.

By the way, any of y'all know a lobsterman that will hire a guy like me for a month? If so, let me know. I'm looking for a job for October.