Whenever the guys on the crew tease me about grabbing a chainsaw and getting out on the landing, my reply has always been "there's no place for me to plug my chainsaw in." It always brings forth a few good chuckles and then we all get back to work. A true logger knows how and when to use a chainsaw.

So I felt a certain sense of empowerment when I won my own chainsaw at "Higmo's Saw Mill Days" a few months ago. That's right, out of a pack of eagerly waiting loggers and foresters I had the good fortune to win the chainsaw!

If you haven't experienced it, "Higmo's Saw Mill Days" is a great fall activity that's not only fun, but educational. Young and old alike come out to enjoy the great food, the display of antique trucks, log splitters and a good old fashioned saw mill demonstration by Allen Higgins and his crew.

There were members of SWOAM (Small Woodlands Owners Association of Maine), and speakers from the Maine Forest Service there to answer questions and educate. I enjoyed Pete Lammert's presentation on log lengths and grades. He also had some great examples of different types of wood. Chunks of Birdseye and other unique examples of what we can find in our woodlots.

The day wrapped up with a tour of their woodlot in a horse drawn wagon while Pete Lammert and Ken Canfield from MFS offered insight along the trip.

If you are looking to find some vintage style boards, Higmo's in Brunswick can fill your order. Their circular saw makes boards the old fashioned way, and contractors can get custom orders filled in a heartbeat. We all know that "old" is the new "new". They are also eager to offer psychiatric sessions, write songs, and give free advice…just don’t, I repeat, don’t ask anyone to cut their hair!

Thanks to my fellow loggers and friends, Paula and Allen, I now have my own chainsaw. So now, when the guys tell me to take out my chainsaw, I can say "shucks, I left it at home!", because after using it a couple of times, I now know that conventional logging is not for the faint of back.