@space670 That looks great! Such a cool design, and that it just happened to come out with the light & dark is sweet.
I had a woodworker friend suggest cutting logs, with their bark still attached, to a "reasonable length," so maybe 50cm - 100 cm, then sealing the cut ends with paraffin wax (or equivalent) before setting aside to dry. The wax seals the "easy" route for moisture to escape, forcing it out slowly through the bark, and preventing cracks.
