Pileated workflow

The temperature neared 90 this afternoon, and though I just kept going with the outdoor tasks and managed to split my daily quota of wood, I knew that it was going to be a lake day. But on the way to the water, I also knew I'd be driving by the trailhead to an area I wanted to explore, and, deer flies be damned, I figured I'd give the trails a try, then go for a swim. The mini-tabanids, it turned out, weren't too oppressive, and the walking was great. The highlight of the trek was abundant signs of Pileated Woodpecker activity, including some, underneath this rotting oak, that featured a fresh pile of wood chips. The big birds clearly love this forest refuge. Indeed, they love it almost too much. I hope the paint was non-toxic, and I hope, for the sake of the trail markers who have done such a great job here, that the Pileated in question decided to excavate somewhere else.