I really scored a few weeks ago. I got a log of saman wood AKA monkeypod from a local resort.

My friend with the sawmill kept it at his place for a few weeks as he was busy, then called me over one day to watch him cut it. Inside, the grain is absolutely gorgeous:

It’s wet wood, though, so I got some advice from a carpenter on how to cure it. He told me to stack it under the house with space between boards so the air can circulate. So that’s what I did with the final boards.

A few of the boards are cut at 2″ thick. Those I’d like to use for making benches. As for the rest of the wood, I really have no idea what I’m going to do with it. It cost me about $120US to have my friend mill the wood and deliver it and it’s a good bit of wood. I can see making some chairs, maybe a desk, maybe a giant wooden Bahfeemus… I dunno. Lots of possibilities. I just knew I couldn’t leave something so beautiful to rot.

For those of you who are in areas hit by Irma, you might want to gather up some of the amazing fallen trees and have a guy with a sawmill cut them for you. Nice wood isn’t cheap, and live oak, black cherry, slash pine and even mango are all nice woods.