After retiring the old house, we set off to clear some brush, saplings, dead trees, and other overgrown shrubs along the property lines. Rumor has it that this ~12ac parcel was clear cut a long time ago and probably farmed. That explains why the property lines on the back side are bound by old stone walls, pulled from the ground, and laid to mark the boundary--they are not moving. The south end is bordered by a seasonal stream, which flows out to a lake not far away. For four days, we ran chain saws, pole saws, and pruning shears to remove unwanted trees, debris, and brush.
By September 2014 we cut the majority of the property lines wide enough to drive a tractor through, pulling a few stumps, moving rocks, and making brush piles to burn later. We cut the evergreen wood to dry it out to burn later in the use of making maple syrup, while other wood varieties were cut to firewood length to burn in wood stoves.
Cutting paths opened up the tree canopy some, enough for sunlight to come in and help some rye grass and brassicas to start growing. We trimmed back some high limbs, a lot of dead and broken ones, and limbed up a lot of trees to open sight lines through the woods. This also helps ensure that, while we are walking or riding through the paths, branches don't take an eye out.
In October we posted No Trespassing/No Hunting/Keep Out signs along the entire property line. Our family is very active on the property and it's not public land.
Fall is a beautiful time of year in Maine. Temperatures are cool, which makes work easier, and though we aren't done, we were happy with the cutting and trimming we were able to complete before winter set in.
