The autumn air is chilled and breezy. It’s filled with a musky-sweet smell of dried leaves, and random wafts of the smoke coming from the chimney of the wood stove burning inside the house.
(Chip walks outside of the house, and finds Natalie crouched down next to an elevated garden, pulling out the wilted tomato plants, recently killed by the first frost.)
Chip: Hey! Good morning, Natalie. Are you ready to learn how to use the chainsaw today?
Natalie: Uh. (with pause, and replies hesitantly.) Okay. I guess I’m ready for this.
Chip: Well then, let’s go to the barn and get some chaps for ya, load up the Gator with the saw and fuel, and ride out into the woods! There’s a bunch of downed trees just waiting to become firewood!
(Natalie stands up slowly, pushing aside the brush she had gathered to the edge of the grass.)
Natalie: Okay. Let’s do this.
Chip: What’s wrong? You don’t seem like you’re up for this today. Have the tomatoes got you down? Do you need some time to “ketchup”? (makes a snorting-laugh sound.)
Natalie: Umm. I don’t know if I am really feeling quite confident about this. You know, using big power tools that could cut me into pieces.
Chip: (stops walking, and turns back towards the house.) No problem. Go ahead and finish up what you’re doing. You know, this would be a great side-job for Fred. I’m going to go in and give him a call. Maybe he can get them cut and gathered today, and you and I can cut them up by using the log splitter “tomato”! (snorting-laugh)
