Lumberjacks

Last Saturday we had to say good-bye to a huge, double trunked cedar that has graced our backyard since long before we bought our house 32 years ago. Our friend, Chunkie Keith, high-school teacher by weekday, arborist by weekend, headed up the crew of five, including his son Julian.

They started early and I soon realized this was an amazing opportunity to sketch these guys in action. As they shimmied up the trees, cutting limbs and trunks, I drew gesture after gesture. They climbed, cut, roped, chopped, chipped, ran, ranted and felled. I watched it all and couldn't stop drawing.