Broke into the "Midwinter Stash"

[Steve NW WI]

I had to pull the tarp off my deep freeze stash tonight. I've been working from o-dark-thirty to the other o-dark-thirty this week, so instead of loading up off one of the other piles by taillight, I pulled the tarp off the one behind the house.

I started in on the back side, first-in-first out ya know. The first armful was...BIRCH!!!???? How did that stuff get in this stack? Anyway, it's wood, it'll burn, and I'm here, so started hauling it in anyway. I soon got into the good oak that was I thought the whole pile, but I'm still confused how that birch wound up mixed in. After about 4 armloads it dawned on me. I was starting this stack off the remains of last year's "spring wood", and I just happened to catch the last corner of it tonight.

Goes to show that "strange" stuff sometimes isn't all that strange.

BTW, I have about a day's worth of wood left from the cord and a half I brought in on Dec 13th, yep, it's been cold! If Jan and Feb are as bad, by the end of April I'll be through the 10 cords I have ready for this year.

Side note 2: DO NOT LEAVE THE BACK DOOR AND THE BACK PORCH DOOR OPEN AT THE SAME TIME WHILE CARRYING IN WOOD AT -10°! Very bad things happen! I heard the "whoof" of the propane furnace kicking on...yikes!

 

[Bowtie]

I have been using my stash slowly for a little while now. I love ash in my insert, and I use it to start the fire and build initial heat because it creates quick fire and heat.

I hear ya on the propane furnace blues, I battle it every day!!!

Stay warm, the next cold blast is on its way!!

 

[StihltheOne]

I can be sound asleep and can not hear a train go by, but that little "tick" as the furnace comes on will rattle me outa bed so fast to turn up the Blaze King. I am not even awake yet, but am halfway across the house cussing the thermostat and bending it past 60 to make sure it never makes that mistake again. It was likely set at about 64 ish. Wanna know a secret? The old thermostats save more $ than the new programable ones. Just have to know the "secret". ............. Take yer needle nose pliers and "adjust" the needle on the thermometer about 3-4 degrees. She will never know the difference. I tell her, look, it is 70 in here, she says, boy, it doesnt feel like it, but is satisfied with the reading. Be carefull not to let another thermometer near the stat though.

 

[Outlander]

Same thing happened to me. I was in that "deep winter" mode when all of a sudden I found pine. WTH, how did this get here? I knew I had left a little bit of pine in there but, A FULL CORD? So I start pulling wood from my February pile and mixing it with the pine. Been doing this for 2 weeks now and still don't know how I could have put a full cord of pine in my "deep winter" pile.

I think the problem is the weather we are having. I put the pine in the back of my stash 2 years ago thinking by the time I get to it we will be in February and I won't need as much heat as the Oak and Elm will make. This is a long and cold winter here in Iowa and I'm burning a lot more wood than I usually burn. I used a lot of good stuff in December thinking that pile was all good stuff and now I'm mixing it up. Good thing I am 2 years ahead with my woodpiles or I would be burning green wood in March.

 

[isaaccarlson]

At least you can start your fire without kindling!!!!!

I always liked birch for that.

 

[Frank Boyer]

The left coast has warmed up. Cold and wet Nov and Dec, but low to mid 60's for the last few days. 2 days without needing a fire. Rain coming in tomorrow will cool it off and then we will need a fire.

 

[dingeryote]

Steve,

It ain't like you are alone in the matter.

I took a good look at what I have gone through so far, and what I expect at this pace.

6 Cords so far. 3 to go in stacks, and then there's the Amish pile of whatnot splits that were waiting to get stacked. So maybe 6 More cord and a good part of that is Boxelder and popples.

Looks like I'll be running half seasoned Cherry and Maple from next years piles come late Feb nd getting at any standing dead is OUT on account of keester deep snow.

On top of it all, I torqued the living snot outta my knee then pile drove it into the ground the other day, and am gimping around without a Truck for a week or so madder than hell. LOL!

Just when ya think ya put up enough and are getting ahead...winter shows up again.

Maybe Algore can turn his Hockey stick back on.

edit:
Check your forecast...the Hockey stick is still broke.

Stay safe!
Dingeryote

 

[Haywire Haywood]

I solved the problem of the propane kicking on at night. The thermostat is set at 55. I wake up cold long before it gets down to 55.

Ian

 

[dolmen]

We're having the coldest December - Jan in over a 100 years I love it but have to be careful who I say that to!

I hit the half way mark in my wood supply the other day, so I'm using a bit more than normal, I always have wood left over, this year it could be a close call. Lesson learnt, I need more wood ready to go ... I do have a supply (not split yet) for a start on next year ...

I know with the new stove its just great to keep her humming and the heat pouring out, oil only being used through the nights.

Cheers

 

[gwiley]

You are not alone.

Whether I am low on wood or not I always keep my eyes open for standing dead and down but off the ground stuff. Winter is the best time to be pulling in the ready/almost ready to burn harvest. This year I am pulling it in because I know that I won't make it to spring without it.

 

[goosegunner]

I just started using my OWB on 12/31 so I think I will be good for wood. I seem to be burning about 1 to 1.5 loads in the Taylor 450 for 24 hours. Much better than I thought considering the temps we have had.

I am still cutting standing dead trees just to make sure. Good workout with the snow we have.

gg

 

[Mike PA]

I don't have a midwinter stash. I only have a winter pile and a spring/ fall pile (pine, hackberry, and walnut). My winter stash consists mostly of oak and ash, with some silver maple, poplar, possibly cottonwood, and black birch mixed in. I like having some of the lighter woods mixed into my winter pile, as they give good quick heat for daytime when someone can tend the stove.

 

[gwiley]

I stack all of my wood by type and don't mix it. This lets me choose my wood for the daily temperature. Here in Virginia we get some wild temperature swings, hate to burn oak on mild days or pine on the cold ones. Makes it easier on the kids too, they know which stack to pull from with some instruction rather than having to reliably ID the wood on their own.

 

[1harlowr]

Guess I have it lucky. I've only got locust, hickory, red oak, and cherry :drool:

 

[boostnut]

The old thermostats save more $ than the new programable ones. Just have to know the "secret". ............. Take yer needle nose pliers and "adjust" the needle on the thermometer about 3-4 degrees. She will never know the difference. I tell her, look, it is 70 in here, she says, boy, it doesnt feel like it, but is satisfied with the reading. Be carefull not to let another thermometer near the stat though.

Love it, rep coming! Gotta stop and pick up an old school thermometer tonite then find the tackle box that holds the needle nose pliers. Should pay for itself before the end of the winter.

 

[toqua]

All i have is black locust so it don't matter what side of the pile I pull from,still have about 9 cord left so i should be in good shape. Its been warm out here the last few weeks 30 to 40 degrees but it got down to 25 last nite.

TOM

 

[gwiley]

All i have is black locust so it don't matter what side of the pile I pull from,still have about 9 cord left so i should be in good shape. Its been warm out here the last few weeks 30 to 40 degrees but it got down to 25 last nite.

TOM

Gloating is impolite.

 

[Steve NW WI]

I can be sound asleep and can not hear a train go by, but that little "tick" as the furnace comes on will rattle me outa bed so fast to turn up the Blaze King. I am not even awake yet, but am halfway across the house cussing the thermostat and bending it past 60 to make sure it never makes that mistake again. It was likely set at about 64 ish. Wanna know a secret? The old thermostats save more $ than the new programable ones. Just have to know the "secret". ............. Take yer needle nose pliers and "adjust" the needle on the thermometer about 3-4 degrees. She will never know the difference. I tell her, look, it is 70 in here, she says, boy, it doesnt feel like it, but is satisfied with the reading. Be carefull not to let another thermometer near the stat though.

That there's good stuff right there...will be back to rep ya later!

I always liked birch for that (starting the fire).

Isaac, that's why it was leftover "warm weather wood", I haven't started the fire since Dec 2nd, it's been on 24-7, even cleaned the chimney once with enough coals left in the stove for the next load to start from!

Steve,

It ain't like you are alone in the matter.

I took a good look at what I have gone through so far, and what I expect at this pace.

6 Cords so far. 3 to go in stacks, and then there's the Amish pile of whatnot splits that were waiting to get stacked. So maybe 6 More cord and a good part of that is Boxelder and popples.

Looks like I'll be running half seasoned Cherry and Maple from next years piles come late Feb nd getting at any standing dead is OUT on account of keester deep snow.

On top of it all, I torqued the living snot outta my knee then pile drove it into the ground the other day, and am gimping around without a Truck for a week or so madder than hell. LOL!

Just when ya think ya put up enough and are getting ahead...winter shows up again.

Maybe Algore can turn his Hockey stick back on.

edit:
Check your forecast...the Hockey stick is still broke.

Stay safe!
Dingeryote

Efff AlGore...warmed up to 10 today, now it's gonna snow a bit, then the deep freeze comes back.

Truly sucks having a bum wheel AND no wheels at the same time! Whaddid ya do to make Murphy that mad at ya?

Think the woodpile is enough to finish the year on, but there's enough dry elm in next years piles for a raid if need be later in the winter.

I solved the problem of the propane kicking on at night. The thermostat is set at 55. I wake up cold long before it gets down to 55.

Ian

Ian, problem there lied in the fact that the back door of the house was open, which leads to the porch, and that door was open as well, giving this blasted cold air a straight shot at the thermostat. 100% my bad there.

You are not alone.

Whether I am low on wood or not I always keep my eyes open for standing dead and down but off the ground stuff. Winter is the best time to be pulling in the ready/almost ready to burn harvest. This year I am pulling it in because I know that I won't make it to spring without it.

I aughta make it ok, but I've been attacking the dead elms on the place pretty hard in the last year, getting them split and stacked before they get punky. They'll be good emergency wood for this winter, or get burned next winter as planned.

I stack all of my wood by type and don't mix it. This lets me choose my wood for the daily temperature. Here in Virginia we get some wild temperature swings, hate to burn oak on mild days or pine on the cold ones. Makes it easier on the kids too, they know which stack to pull from with some instruction rather than having to reliably ID the wood on their own.

I've been trying to do that, and been kinda successful so far, but I'm getting to the point where I'm gonna be hauling in mixed loads, and I won't be sorting off the truck. Next year's stash will be a 50-50 mix of oak and ironwood, and everything else will get mixed as it comes inside anyway.

[gwiley;1939901]Gloating is impolite.[/QUOTE]

Yeah, but what the heck, flaunt it if ya got it works too. Sounds like reading turnkey4099's posts that locust will be getting scarce out that way thanks to bugs/disease, so I'd be stocking up on it too.

For everyone else, thanks for the replies!

 

[newb]

Stihltheone, That is just so funny, and true.

 

[Tendencies]

Wait! Your sposed to separate piles by species??/ Wheww glad all I got is Red/White oak.... 4 cords gone and 4 to go been -20's all week at night I sure hope we see a January thaw pretty darn soon!!!