I Am Delivering Cottonwood...

[Wood Doctor]

...to a restaurant owner and friend who specifically requested this species.

Last month I said, "Don, it appears that the only thing left at the big wood pile in Boys Town is pine and cottonwood. All of the elm and soft maple are about gone, and of course, the ash, oak, and locust disappeared some time ago."

Don said, "There's lots of cottonwood there?"

I said, "Yes, there's at least four big pickup truckloads, unsplit. Maybe more. Nobody seems to want it."

Don said, "I'll take all of it. I can split it. I have the log splitter that can do it, and I'll burn it all this year in the restaurant's stove to heat the place."

I said, "Can you give me and LOML a Sunday breakfast for each delivery?"

Don said, "Yes. You're on. Make sure you use that log lifter you made to lift those big rounds onto the truck."

For the record, Don is now missing a leg, only has 30% of his heart still working, is suffering from diabetes, his wife passed away five years ago, and everyone thinks he's the man at the top who's keeping his small town alive.

Forum, I cut the cottonwood today and packed my truck cab high for delivery to Don's restaurant and I will try to post a Pic tomorrow of what I delivered. Is it OK that I wait until tomorrow to post the Pic?

 

[wdchuck]

Looking forward to the picture.

The story and the deed are good on their own though. opcorn:

 

[PA. Woodsman]

Amazing story

That's a good deed on your part and an AMAZING man there. God Bless you both.

We get so "caught up" in our own woes that when I read what he has going on I thought "some people have REAL problems"....and he's STILL splitting wood-that's inspiring!

 

[husky455rancher]

very nice man

 

[mga]

you da man, wood doc!!!

 

[Patrick62]

amazing

Cottonwood? Why in the world.... :monkey:

To each his own. Was the price right??

-Pat

 

[Wood Doctor]

Cottonwood? Why in the world.... :monkey:

To each his own. Was the price right??

-Pat

Everyone else asked the same thing, "Why cottonwood?"

Well, I guess (1) because its there, (2) it burns hot and lights easy, (3) he never burns after hours, only when the restaurant is open. The price is right. A breakfast buffet goes for about $8 and includes all the coffee you want. The food is terrific, all home cooked. The people in the little town are wonderful. I know most of them, even though it's 37 miles away. I'm just glad to help the guy out. Don's 78 and owns three Stihls, but after losing his leg, I doubt that he runs them very much any more.

 

[Ole Farmerbuck]

Your a good man. Never know when you might need something .

 

[turnkey4099]

Cottonwood? Why in the world.... :monkey:

To each his own. Was the price right??

-Pat

A load of cottonwood beats no wood at all hands down.

Harry K

 

[Wood Doctor]

Pics as Promised

Here's Truckload #1 of three I have planned. It's almost cab high, and I cross roped it secure before delivering it to Don's place today. I figure that's about 86 cubic feet uinsplit and may stack to 100 when split:

One of Don's boys helped me unload and thanked me for it all. He plans to start splitting it sometime next week. That's when I'll bring the second load in. The trees blew down in June. I have some drier stuff planned for the next delivery.

Here's Don's stoves. The double barrel he built himself about 15 years ago. Looks like a little rust is building up on the stovepipe from a leak in the roof. The old steel stove next to it is a dandy also, and I have no idea what brand it is:

Then Don showed me firestarters he makes. He takes a pound of wax and gets it hot in a small kettle. Then he mixes in two cups of sawdust, stirrs it up, and pours it into an egg carton. After it cools, he breaks off one or two eggs and uses that to start the kindling in the stove:

Anyway, I think I made his day today, and boy was that big breakfast he gave me delicious: scrambled eggs, ham, bacon, sausage, bisquits and gravey, hashed brown taters, juice, watermelon, and all the coffee I could drink.

 

[Griffbm3]

Nice story, thank-you for sharing. I save my egg crates for that same purpose using the same method for firestarting too...

Have a great week.

 

[wdchuck]

Anyway, I think I made his day today, and boy was that big breakfast he gave me delicious: scrambled eggs, ham, bacon, sausage, bisquits and gravey, hashed brown taters, juice, watermelon, and all the coffee I could drink.

Two servings of soul food for you Wood Doc. mmmmmm...the sounds great.

 

[Wood Doctor]

Two servings of soul food for you Wood Doc. mmmmmm...the sounds great.

Now, I wonder how WdChuck knew that Don was an old Irishman? You should see how he decorates that restaurant near St. Patrick's Day in the spring.

Anyway, after I devour one of his breakfasts, I generally refrain from eating anything else for at lerast 24 hours.