Logging and toe cutting

[torjusg]

I guess this concept is familiar to most people here, but this a true story. It is about my grandfather and his brother. People were a little wild were I come from in those days. There are stories about ignited dynamite beeing thrown in the pants of a drunk man on a party (which appearantly was at least twice a week).

But here is the very short story:
My grandfather and his brother was chopping lumber. After a while his brother dared my grandfather to cut off his big toe. He raised the axe and his brother placed his foot on the log. Both were of course convinced that the other one would not follow it through. So grandfather swung the axe and off with his toe!

Torjus Gaaren

 

[Polestar]

I guess this concept is familiar to most people here, but this a true story. It is about my grandfather and his brother. People were a little wild were I come from in those days. There are stories about ignited dynamite beeing thrown in the pants of a drunk man on a party (which appearantly was at least twice a week).

But here is the very short story:
My grandfather and his brother was chopping lumber. After a while his brother dared my grandfather to cut off his big toe. He raised the axe and his brother placed his foot on the log. Both were of course convinced that the other one would not follow it through. So grandfather swung the axe and off with his toe!

Torjus Gaaren

I see that you take after your grandfather Torjus ... both 'Tenderfoots'.

 

[Goose]

Makes you appreciate TV!

 

[wolf]

is that where the toe of the axe comes from?

 

[Buckshot]

I bet he was hopping mad !!!!!

 

[BorderReiver]

Is it something in the water?

 

[Abbe Osram]

That was the entertainment before we got TV and other kind of shows ;-)
I believe too that the old guys liked to tell some cool stories to the little kids when they where asking stupid questions: "Oncle, why do you have onlye 4 toes left?" Well, .... listen kid... your father, my brother and me one day went to the woods and ..........

Look at the stories in the end everyone turned out to be a hero, the guy swinging the axe, the guy loosing the toes. As both where tuff guys not giving in or pulling out. There are a lot of stories around between Trappers and Backwoods people but I believe they are mostly quite exaggerated to be entertaining to a point of being not true at all. But I still like them they are very entertaining.

I even made up one myself to a little kid!

cheers
Abbe

 

[torjusg]

Hehe, Abbe

Maybe I have been fooled.

I better elaborate on the dynamite story then. This one was actually observed by my father. There was a party in one of the mountain farms in our valley. People were very drunk as always and one suddenly decided that he was angry at one of the passed out drunks and wanted to kill him. He found that putting an ignited bar of dynamite into his pants would do the trick. So he put it into his pants and kept on drinking. Not long until the fuse was run out my grandfather saw the dynamite and threw it out into the forest. Bang, and it cleared a little patch of brush.

I am starting to see a pattern here.....

Torjus Gaaren

 

[directdrive]

Hi, Torjusg: Axes are wonderful tools to butcher one's self with. Once, I split the big toe of my right foot right down the middle. I had been splitting wood for hours, was tired and should have stopped earlier. When you are tired, you make mistakes. At least I didn't do it on purpose out of boredom or bravado........or because I was drunk... I always do my drinking after I finish working........Bruce