Living with the forest at your back gives you an ongoing opportunity to gather wood. And when a wood stove is your only source of heat in the winter, this makes for a lovely set up. Now most of the time, this gathering involves chain saws, diesel fuel, big man [and woman] power, and the help of a very large pickup truck. I am grateful for those tools. They bring in the big wood. Yes they do. But for those of us who... [whom? ….. where's the grammar police?]   in a pinch, only have the woman power, well, we need some different tools. When I go up in the woods, I often find limbs that have fallen from trees. I drag them home and stash them behind the pump house. I also trim dead branches from the trees next to my house so I can have a more aesthetically pleasing view out my windows. These also get stashed behind the pump house. In order to deal with my stash, I needed tools for the machinery averse. You know, low tech girly tools. So I did what any self respecting woman would do... I asked my brother to help me. Cupcakes Unite! I know, I know. Dudes. I'm no feminist. It's not in my DNA. But, I DO have a fair amount of 'Daughter of the Moon, Nokomis'  from Hiawatha flowing around in there somewhere. After a trip to the lumber yard, a visit to Amazon, and the help of the sibling unit, I now have this sweet setup in my back yard...   I am working on my sawing technique. I think the saw buck is a tad too tall for me, but this is easily remedied if I decide to cut it down a bit. [Short people …. sheesh….] Anyway, I know of a tree that fell down in the woods just a little ways from my house. It was tall and thin. I'm thinking I might be able to drag it up here and cut it up. I'm going to go up there and take a look at it and see. (Lord. Save me from girls with delusions of grandeur traipsing around in the forest with sharp edged instruments.] Thats Nokomis to you, ()…. Nokomis. Make a note of it.