Buckley Log Show Day 1

This is the major event for the year in Buckley, Washington.

This is the major event for the year in Buckley, Washington.

Today was a wonderful day to experience the culture in the Pacific Northwest. I attended the Buckley Log Show which started with a parade and ended with a series of competitions in chopping and cutting wood.

She is having a great time being in the parade and waving to everyone along the way.

She is having a great time being in the parade and waving to everyone along the way.

All kinds of vehicles were in the parade.

All kinds of vehicles were in the parade.

The parade was fun. It was a hot day, so people loved when they were sprayed with water from the people in the parade. The clowns were especially popular.

It was a hot day, so everyone loved it when the clowns sprayed them with water.

It was a hot day, so everyone loved it when the clowns sprayed them with water.

The kids in this float loved spraying people with water.

The kids in this float loved spraying people with water.

Some of the competitions were quite scary. Climb on a high pole with only a rope and spikes on your boots, and then have to use both hands to saw through a log on the top of the pole! Very scary!

The log show started with the clown dropping in.

The log show started with the clown dropping in.

In this competition, people had to climb this large pole and then ring the bell at the top.

In this competition, people had to climb this large pole and then ring the bell at the top.

I had always heard that you were not supposed to run with scissors. Instead, how about a competition where you run with a chain saw and then run up a log to cut off the end of the log. I would fall for sure.

Because it was hot, everyone loved it when the clown provided air conditioning by spraying them with water.

Because it was hot, everyone loved it when the clown provided air conditioning by spraying them with water.

Ready, set, go! This was the start of one event when the flew off this log.

Ready, set, go! This was the start of one event when the flew off this log.

The Log Show competitions were quite impressive. These were especially strong, talented individuals. I do not think I would do well racing as fast as possible to saw through a large log. In one event, a woman used a handsaw and beat a guy sawing through a log next to her. The women in the audience shouted loudly and the moderator teased the guy that lost. However, I would not have been able to keep up with either one of them.

These guys know how to chop wood! Powerful, fast strokes quickly chop through the logs.

These guys know how to chop wood! Powerful, fast strokes quickly chop through the logs.

Four teams simultaneously  raced to saw through the log.

Four teams simultaneously raced to saw through the log.

These guys are THROWING their axes! Didn't our Mothers tell us not to do this?

These guys are THROWING their axes! Didn’t our Mothers tell us not to do this?

Who can use their chain saw to saw through this log the fastest?

Who can use their chain saw to saw through this log the fastest?

The most difficult event was “tree toping” when you have to climb a pole around 60 feet in the air and then cut off the top layer of the log on top. This is an extraordinarily difficult event. Some people tired so much climbing the pole with a rope that they had little energy left to saw the log at the top once they scaled the whole pole.

This is the most difficult event. You must climb all the way to the top and then cut the top off the log at the top. Very scary!

This is the most difficult event. You must climb all the way to the top and then cut the top off the log at the top. Very scary!

These are powerful people chopping the logs!

These are powerful people chopping the logs!

However, the event that wowed the crowd the most was watching the modified chain saws slice through wood like butter. In this category, people added V8 car engines to a chain saw. There was large noise and enormous power as these chain saws sliced through the large log. It took 4 people to carry these chain saws to the log and then two people needed to hold it for the actually sawing. It was very impressive!

A car engine is attached to a chain saw!

A car engine is attached to a chain saw!

These guy's car engine-powered chain saw won the competition!

These guy’s car engine-powered chain saw won the competition!