The Smell of Cedar

Walking out into the front yard this morning the first thing that grabbed my attention was the smell of cedar. The scent was strong and I thought, “What a great aftereffect to cap an hour of hard work.” A week ago I thought the large dead tree in front yard was a pine tree, information I’d gotten from someone who had their trees mixed up. 

The fact that the big dead tree was a cedar and not pine became obvious with the first cut from a chainsaw, with sawdust spewing out rich with the smell of cedar. The day to cut down the tree was set for yesterday and planned as a three man job but suddenly there were six people, all neighbors coming over to help out. I’ve often said that living out here in the dirt road country of southern Oak Hill has taught me the real meaning of neighborliness. Once that tree was on the ground, it took no more than forty-five minutes to have it stripped of branches, cut into manageable pieces, hauled away and the ground raked clean. The tree’s trunk was eighteen inches across and at its highest about twenty-seven feet. With the yard cleaned up and offering a whole new perspective, my neighbors stood around chatting for a while and then one by one drifted home. 

Scroll down to the March 11 post here and you can see a snap of the tree as it was before being cut down. All that remains now is an eighteen inch tall stump which I have begun sealing as best I can with repeated coats of spar urethane on the cut surface, giving it a clear semi-gloss coating to protect it from rain, moisture and temperature. It will soon be the perfect place to sit out in the yard.

The yard is now open to more sunlight with an improved view looking toward the southwest. Big improvement in the balance of the yard in the opinion of everyone standing around. Besides that, a tall dead tree is not a pretty sight from any angle. Tomorrow good neighbor Randy and I plan to cut one of the branches with a two or three inch diameter into inch thick slices to toss in clothes drawers. Buy the same thing all wrapped up pretty at Bed Bath & Beyond and spend $25 or more.