Sunday, April 28, 2013

Photos from the mill

Not long ago, I visited a small one-man sawmill on the mainland, about 45 minutes from this part of Cape Cod. These small mills are scattered across the country in rural and semi-rural areas, usually a part-time job for someone whose father or grandfather once milled logs for a living. Old country professions can hang on that way for a long time, as long as descendants want to honor the tradition, enjoy the work and can make a dollar from it. This one is clearly that way.
I was there with a friend to pick up some dimensional lumber for lining a raised-bed garden, milled, I think, from old telephone poles. Good wood, perfect for the job, not too much money.
What I loved about the mill was the light that flooded in onto the machinery from the open bay where the logs sat before cutting. Open sky light, not direct sunlight. It turned the worn wood and saw blades silvery. Here are the photos I made there.
We'll get back to pottery in the next post.





5 comments:

Tracey Broome said...

My uncle ran a sawmill like this down in Asheboro, NC until the day he died. HIs two sons worked with him and they still run it today. They supply wood to local furniture makers. Hard living, but they both own twenty acres on land in the Uwharrie Mts. and have beautiful log homes. Not a bad way to live.....

Hollis Engley said...

I'll bet there are more near you than there are near me, Tracey.

Sandy Miller said...

And a wonderful log peavey........ Watched my neighbor use one until the day he died splitting wood. Beautiful images.....

Patricia Griffin Ceramics said...

Can almost smell the sawdusty air! Great photos Hollis.

Hollis Engley said...

Thanks, all. I'll get back to pottery in a day or so. Maybe today.