We have the answer to that age-old question: If a tree falls in the forest and there is no-one there to see it fall, does it really make a sound? The answer is a resounding, if not thunderous, "yes". In October 2004, at 5am, a 90ft oak tree fell, clipping the house and car. It woke us from a deep sleep. My son exclaimed that that lightning was close, and my wife looked outside and said, "A large branch fell down, and there's a tree attached to it."
What do you do with 90 feet of red oak? First, you make a seat so that my son has somewhere to sit other than on his backpack while waiting for the school bus; Second, you use some in the fireplace, especially given the price of heating oil. Third, since said son is chess crazy, why not make a rustic chess table for the woods? This task took some time and effort but the photos below show the final result. The Isle of Lewis chess set was purchased because we felt it was a perfect match for the table in our woods. All it needs now are 2 rustic thrones to be carved from the remaining 30ft so the chess players can play in style.