Timber! (and I don't mean shiver me, either)

I have learned that there is another noise I don't like. The sound of trees falling. Especially on our property.

My brother in law, sister and the kids came over this weekend. Bearing, among other things, 2 chainsaws, a maul, an elk skull, and 2 sets of antlers.
(NO, I am not putting an elk rack up in my house. I don't know WHERE I am going to put it. But it won't be in the house).
They came over, not to inundate me with dead animals, but to help us.
We had numerous dead trees on our property. (HAD).
They could have been dangerous, falling under any weight of winter snow or wind or anything else. The tree's, maybe 6 or 8 in total, needed to come down. They will be good firewood for us, keeping us warm in the winter.
But the noise of them coming down. The sounds of wood, cracking, crumbling. The tree, falling to the earth, reaching out for it's friends as it falls down, scraping some of its neighbors, taking a few of the tiny saplings down with it. The thud as it hits the earth. Shaking. It was dead, and now, it's down.
Then, the whine of the chainsaws, dismembering it, so that it will be small enough to feed our fireplace. What was once a beautiful, living pine (or Cedar) is now cannibalized, lying on the ground, waiting for us to pick up the pieces, and put it with it's dead brethren.
It had to be done, but I am so glad it's over.