I was all set to write a witty post about that most manly of manly man power tools, the chainsaw, and how I had to borrow one from Craig because I don’t have one myself, nor any real reason to buy one, and how it compared to my little electric hedge trimmer and then let the comments fall where they might, when two things happened:

1. Marc snarkily replied via text message that a chainsaw is efficient; an ax is manly.
2. I melted Craig’s chainsaw.

Let the comments fall where they may.

Here’s a simple report, then.

Here’s my first pass, getting the smaller limbs taken apart.

So far, so good, but it was shortly after this that the saw ran out of gas. That was the problem, you see.

Here we are at the last bit. The larger trunk was interesting, because after I got almost all the way through the trunk, it would break off and I could roll it right out of its bark. The larger pieces I sawed in half. Yes, it would probably be easier or faster to cleave them, but that would require the use of a real manly tool, which, needless to say, I do not own.

And here’s where I ended after I melted Craig’s chainsaw. The problem was that small engines require a mixture of gasoline and oil in order to keep running. I knew this, but Craig didn’t mention it, and there were two separate ports for gas and oil, so I thought that perhaps these newfangled chainsaws did their own mixing through some superior space-age technology. Oops. Craig’s mistake was thinking I could cut up all that wood with one tank of gas.

Anyway, next project, after I take Craig to Home Depot to buy a new chainsaw:

Here are the paving stones left over from the construction of the labyrinth. They’ve been sitting here at the steps to the labyrinth for a year now. It’s time to move them.

This way, I can start working on the entrance to the labyrinth. Since it’s the east, it needs something air-related. I will also have the pavers in a better position when I start working on the dance floor patio next spring. (That’s the area at the left of the photo.)