It sounds like a strange woodland crab, but the truth is his name was Don Cole and the man was simple, but hardened. He was an old duffer, in his 80's when I was a kid some 40 years ago and lived a simple life. A farm hand by summer, and logger by winter, he worked hard and lived in a shack he built in the woods. It is still standing despite years of snow, a testament to how rot resistant re-purposed oak flooring can be for siding, and tin for a roof. Anyway the guy had no concept of the 3 year plan, in fact his plan predated the just-in-time delivery ideas of today. That was, he cut his wood down as he needed it...as in...that very day. Eery night as he came out of the woods he felled a cedar, carried what he could on his back. Bucked it with cross cut saw, split it by axe, and burned it. EVERY DAY. So one day my brother and I used our snowmobile and cut him with chainsaw a cord of cedar and gave it to him. Was he ever thankful, and yet for nearly a month he did not have to cut wood. But as soon as it was gone, he went back to his cut-it-today/burn-it-today method of firewood production. I never figured that out. I procrastinate some days, but jeesh not that bad. In the end he ended up dying, but worse than that wee lost our hermits. I think the old duffers just died off, and the older bachelors or widowers have learned government housing and aid is better then struggling in a ram shackled shack. Myself, an old duffer when I was born, I am not sure. if widowed now, I might build a cabin out in the back forty and just rent this place. Already Katie and I have designed a cabin so we can have a smaller place once the kids are grown. They can have this place, I have no issues being a crabby cedar hermit.
Excellent story. Ya i guess it comes down to the old saying "cant teach an old dog new tricks". I love the idea of building a cabin though. Live that simple life out in the back 40. Thanks for sharing!
I know a few hand to mouth ole timers here. They gather for today, not much thought for tomorrow. We are in the process of putting together a care package caravan for a not so old timer with yes 14 kids, live off grid, up in the hills, way down a trail. the road they live off of is not maintained in the winter months and its 115 road miles to the plowed road. No working gun/ammo, not enough food for the winter, no saw gas.... Hopefully we can get back up to the cabin, going to be a tough go to get to them. Hopefully we can keep them alive till spring. Keep them in you thoughts, cant imagine how tough they must have.
I get the vibe of this thread. I too would love to go back 30 or 40 years and live the life of a thriving timber industry, and a simple life in a small house or cabin. I knew a few of the types your talking about when i was a kid in the early eighties. They had no wife and they did their mill or logging job by day, and enjoyed their whiskey and solitude in the evenings.
