The old Norfolk Island pine tree is no longer at the Manoa Valley homestead where my hanai (adopted) mom lives. Mom decided to have the tall evergreen sentinel, damaged by termites and dry rot, cut down this past weekend before it fell down. With the wet and windy season approaching, I think Mom did the right thing.
This tree was big. The existing stump measures about 40 inches in diameter. I counted the rings and estimated the tree was about 80 years old. Termites used to live in the lower part of the trunk. Sections from further up, however, are still good and useful to woodturners.
By the time I arrived at Mom’s yesterday to make these photographs, she had given away some of the choicer sections to the tree cutters. There’s still plenty more wood.
I eyeball the diameter of the Norfolk Island pine to be about 40 inches. Tree sap still oozes from the cut
Sections of the trunk
Termites used to live here
More trunk sections, still good for making art
The dark and blond two-toned shades are characteristic of Norfolk Island pine wood
New view from the front porch
I counted the rings. Each represents one year of life, right?
Workers left their tools behind; they're not pau (finished) yet
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