Now that we have wood sheds, Michael has been hunting standing deadwood to fell. He settled on an 80 foot tall basswood back about a month ago. It had grown into and around a neighboring live tree, but naturally leaned toward the field rather than downhill into the forest. The basswood gained its name of the Deadly Umpas Tree when it refused to fall.

Michael would go out with his chain saw and I with my cell phone with 9-1-1 set to dial. I would stand on top of the tractor so I had a signal.

We tried tying a rope on and tugging with the tractor, but the tractor just spun out and moved it not an inch. Every day for a month Michael would look out across the field and say "You may not believe this, but that Deadly Umpas Tree is still standing."

And then came the storm. It rained. It blew. It lit up creation. Happy to have the hurricane clips on! This morning, Michael looked out across the field and said, "You won't believe this, but the Deadly Umpas Tree is down!"

The tree has fallen, but the limbs did not break. Sigh. So I will still be there with my cell phone set to call in an emergency as Michael goes about making the Umpas into firewood. We have about a week before it is due to snow. Wish us luck.