Trego's Mountain Ear

Javier Milei has described his efforts with cutting through government regulations with a chainsaw.

I tend to use a little more protective gear than the Argentine President – and, after a year when I lacked the strength to start my saws, I’ve went over to a Stihl Easy2Start.  (I think Milei’s saw is a Chinese knock-off) With the many trees that the snow has bent over, and the tops taken out, it was a good idea.  Just keeping the roads open takes a chainsaw. 

Some of the blowdown comes out in firewood, some in short logs.  While I set up a mill that can turn out 20 foot beams and boards, I realized that I don’t have the strength to handle 20 foot slabs – so I kind of stick with 8 and 10 foot short logs.  Occasionally, I go so far as a 12 – and, what the hay, it’s nice to have plenty of track, even if I don’t use it all.

It looks like I’ll have an easy year for firewood in 2025.  The bent over trees and the trees where the tops have snapped are what I’m cutting now – and most of the stuff in firewood lengths are under 10 inches across.  Next Spring, when the snow is off, I’ll pick up the cut firewood, take it to my new splitter, and then put the split wood under shelter to dry.  The woodshed holds two winters worth of wood, so it will have another year to dry out while it’s under cover.

Last year, the weakness of aging left me unable to overcome the compression and start my saws.  This year, the technology of Easy2Start has given me back the gasoline powered chainsaw, and simple hydraulics has me able to split firewood again.  Modern technology makes it easier to do things despite the body wearing out.

Still, I envy Milei.  I can take a chainsaw to blowdowns and damaged trees – but it must be a lot more fun to take a chainsaw to government regulations.