western red cedar tall boys

The story behind a bit of beautiful lumber in my shop will only hold your interest if you like finding a bargain and aren't afraid to stumble upon animal habitat on occasion.

["One birdhouse (left) is made from 'house reno' lumber; 

the others are of western cedar from the 'mouse pile'"]

Recently, following advice from a friend, I visited a local lumber yard in search of a good deal on western cedar. I found a great looking 6-ft. length fence boards at the front of a particular shed and a dirty pile of odds and ends under a miserable piece of tarp in a dark corner. I quickly loaded ten boards from the front pile into my Civic and then walked toward the back of the shed and threw back the dusty tarp.

What a mess. Dirt, dust, fluffy-duff, and the remains of winter homes for mice flew in all directions at once. I instinctively closed my eyes and held my breath. Upon opening my eyes I realized I'd found a treasure, i.e., a cluttered mess of five-footers that required careful sorting but contained some of the best cedar in town, that's if the thought of sweeping and scrubbing boards didn't throw me off.

["Tall boys, scrubbed up nice. But not a tall tale"]

Not at half price it didn't.

Photos by GH

***

Please click here to view small red cedar birdhouse