The activities at Cwrt-y-Gollen army camp started with a group attempt at singing, before the men were set tasks including a wood-chopping race and a swamp command exercise using heavy sacks of coal.

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In Idaho and Nevada, many cities hold annual Basque festivals with traditional sporting contests weight-carrying, wood-chopping, sheep-hooking and pelota (similar to jai-alai in America) as well as dancing exhibitions, Basque-language Catholic masses and bread-baking contests.

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Ephratah resident Roger Berry, 75, said he was outside chopping wood when the plane crashed.

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In 1946, a man chopping wood in Oregon noticed several timber beetle larvae chewing through the logs around him.

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Soon, the rattle of a chainsaw fills the air and the staccato sound of chopping wood echoes around the forest.

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As part of his rehabilitation order, Mr Davies had been recently clearing the local cemetery and chopping wood, Mr Edwards said.

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Chris thought I was losing my mind until he started reading some book where the protagonist starts chopping wood to keep from losing her mind.

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"After I left the Army I found myself living in a shed and chopping wood - I knew I was stuck in a rut and I wanted to get back to work, " he said.

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The NRK woodathon features firewood specialists providing commentary and advice on subjects such as chopping, stacking and burning the wood.

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"We want to get the lead inside, so instead of chopping the pencil up perpendicularly and exposing just the ends, we strip the wood casing off the outside and expose the length of the lead, " says Litzen.

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