Playing at the Valentine's Heart Throb Dance was a delight. My new Saw Sisters here at school really did me proud in our saw band - they played all the old songs even more sweetly than I remembered them. Even "It Does Make a Sound," which was always my favorite.

I went ahead and played lead saw, just because I had the most experience, but with @Silvia H. and @*Atlantica* on alto saw, @Midna on tenor, @Pete the Girl on the big ol' bass saw, and @Silverfawn up in front directing us all with her little fronds, we looked as heavenly as we sounded.

Didn't stay around for the rest of the dance, though. Religious reasons.

This month I've gotten into roasting my own coffee. I get the beans straight off the airship that comes up from down south. Zephyr Air Transport Inc. They've got all kinds of interesting stuff to trade, and I seriously suggest checking them out next time their dirigible is moored on campus.

i would suggest keeping bandsaws and handsaws away

I've been playing the saw in my treehouse regularly, but haven't heard that other saw since the first time. It's been good practice, though, and a comfort to my homesickness to play the old songs again.

But like the old saying goes: Saws are better when working together. So I'd like to put together a saw orchestra, and anyone's invited to join up. Doesn't matter if you have experience or not. I can teach you -- you just have to work at it! Maybe we could even work something out in time for this Valentine's Dance coming up. So let me know if you're interested.

Speaking of the old songs, I was in touch with my people back in Timberland, talking to friends and getting filled in on the goings on. So I thought to ask about the Iron Sequoia School, which is where I reckon my mysterious Timberjack visitor received his training. It's also the historical arch rivals of my own denomination, Yellow Birch.

"Oh, didn't you know? Iron Sequoia disbanded years ago! Remember how their High Branch just disappeared, and nobody knew where they went? Without the hieromonks, there was no teaching, so it just kinda dissolved."

Now that kinda rings a bell, but I just figured it got worked out.

Apparently not. And what's that say about my silent Timberjack drifter?

I spend a lot of time alone at the treehouse. And that's by design. Timberjacks are generally a solitary lot, though we are connected through our Schools. Yellow Birch School has its patch, and we look after each other, and are on good terms with our neighbors. But I left all that to come and be a part of this school, and my Timberjack brothers and sisters are far away.

So when I pulled out my saw the other night to play a few old Timberjack ballads, it almost brought me to tears when I heard another saw, plaintive, out in the distance over the woods, answering me back. Though we have different practices, all the Timberjack songs are derived from the same original melodies, so saw players from different schools can have a kind of dialogue through approaching the same melodies. It's like all of us each know a piece of the bigger song - the song we have forgotten. And when players from different schools play together, you get a glimpse of the bigger picture.

Out over the top of the forest I could see those hairy spindly arms of the World-Weavers, sewing up the woods with night.

Here's the entry from my old Timberjack manual:

================
Many, many winters ago, the first Timberjacks lived in the mighty World Tree, the largest tree in the largest forest of the land. And they called this tree Leonard.

Leonard was large, and grew larger by the century. Timberjack shanties hung like pine cones as high as the eye could see in its mighty boughs. Through time, pods of Timberjacks living near one another developed their own ways of sawing, climbing, and carving; and of yodeling and dancing as well. Each adapted their ways to their specific niche biomes of Leonard the World Tree.

As these groups of Timberjacks grew their own unique cultures, they began to grow different approaches to caring for Leonard, their host. Some advocated trimming, others vehemently opposed it. Some gathered the needles that fell to the forest floor, others put them back.

While the groups of Timberjacks squabbled among themselves, Leonard grew old. The Timberjacks grew more and more focused on their differences, and less and less on Leonard's state.

So when the mighty storm came, with its lightning wind, Leonard was struck down, sheared in half by the tempest.

Maybe Leonard was just old.

It was at that time that the Timberjacks were scattered to the four winds, and developed the original schools from which the ones we know are derived. These original schools include Western Juniper, Pond Cyprus, Limber Pine, the Larch... all the names you know from the Recitation of the Families we read at Yuletide.

While the modern schools have taken on different names, and examined the best forestry practices of the past, our squabbles remain. But we must recollect that Leonard really resides in all trees, that all trees are the World Tree, and in fact, the whole world really is just a tree, and if you climb up high enough you'll get to next week.

--- Blueberry Bob Henderson, from the introduction to The Timberjack Manual, 9th Edition, published by Timbertown Press, 1994

Funny thing happened on my way to @Pearline's. I was headed through what we call the Transitional Urban Canopy -- where you move from pure forest into telephone and powerlines to industrial and residential rooftops.

The weather's been cold and wet, so my lines were a bit stiff and slippery, but with my crampons and carbon fibre gloves it was fine. A good day to be out and about in the treeptops, really, and I could even catch glances of the hairy spindly legs of mighty World-Weavers weaving this world as they do.

But I also spotted a surprise -- another Timberjack. I could make out our trademark red and black and red flannel from across the wires and roofs from about half a mile. I took off after them but couldn't catch up, and didn't get a response to my standard Timberjack messaging protocols.

Never did make it to @Pearline's. Had to head to shop class.

Thanks for picking up that squirrel receipt, @Pearline. I'll drop by and pick it up, but I'm going to try and make it from my treehouse to your dorm without touching the ground. So I'll be from treetops to telephone poles to roofs with my belays and hitches and we'll see how it goes!

@timberlina-
Oh yeah. The piece of paper that he gave to me while making squeaklike noises? I have it in my drawer! Stop by Krezner 4-22, and I can give it to you! If you want to stay and have a mug of hot chocolate, that would be great! We can maybe discuss Arts and Crafts, too. I think there is a possibility that we could start an art club, if you've picked up the news lately.
-პ

I was a wondering how the drop-off of the squirrel statues went, @Pearline, as I hadn't heard from you and wanted to make sure that everything went alright with that.

Oh! And to make sure the Emperor of the Squirrels gave you his special thing. You know, to acknowledge receipt of the art. It's an old squirrel custom, and I'm sure he would have made a big show of giving it to you. But it's kinda important that I have that, in case he comes a calling and wants to see it.

Let me know! Also, hope you had a good trip to see your folk.

And thanks again. I owe you a big one.

You better drive up to my treehouse, @Pearline, because these carvings are mighty heavy. Each one's man-sized. Drive on the logging road and it will take you right to me.

I might be in class, so if I'm not there feel free to just load them up and take them. They're right at the foot of my tree.

Thanks so much! I owe you one!

It is quite a trip up there, though. Hope you make it back by tomorrow! If not, I'm sure the squirrels will treat you right.