Chainsaw Troubles

In order to use our composting toilet, we need wood chips to compost into. And we are getting low. Phil's finger is growing stronger, so he headed down yesterday to chip, only to find that the chainsaw wouldn't start.

In dismantling it to determine the problem, a fuel line (or some such) broke, so he took it in for servicing.

Now it could be that the gas to run it had gone bad. Apparently gas has a shelf life. Perhaps the issue was that he didn't use it for a time, and that gummed up the motor. I've been thinking of late about how rarely we know what the last time is. When Phil used the chainsaw last, I doubt he thought, "This is the last time I'll use this in 2012."

More poignantly, I doubt I will ever pick up my sons again during singing at church. After ten years of holding a son through at least part of service, my son-holding days are done.

Now I get hugs around the waist, or the neck. I was up the driveway yesterday, and Isaiah ran up and gave me a hug, followed closely by Joe. Isaiah held on, and Joe held on, and then Joe said, "I'm hugging everyone! You and Isaiah both!"

How many more times will I have a little boy run to give me a hug?

It's easy to note the first times: first smile, first tooth, first step, first book. The lasts, though ... that's a rare thing to note.

***

While he's healing, Phil has been rereading one of his perennial favorite series, The Ralph Moody Collection. When he read the first, Little Britches, he was reminded of how many things young Ralph did. Not always successfully (like the time he broke nine toes at once), but the boy was with the man. Phil's been thinking how to include the boys more in the tasks around the farm. I don't know that they will be enthusiastic about that, but that is a part of this life that I hoped for, and I think it will be good to come to pass.

***

Phil, eternal optimist, laughed a bit at my list of books in-which-I-don't-measure-up. "Amy, we're not really farmers yet. We're pioneers. Every one of those people had a house to begin with. Maybe not a nice house; maybe a house that needed work. But the basic infrastructure was in place. And most of them already had at least some skills!"

Oh, right! If you've watched your dad use a chainsaw from your youth, you probably know about basic chainsaw maintenance, for example. But if you start a venture without infrastructure or skills, it'll take some time to get both in place.

We really are doing pretty well, given that.