A little more yesterday....the much needed rains over the past couple weeks made this area a bit soft.Made a good dent in the 2+ yr drought,this is usually a semi-wet area most of the year from late March to late June anyway.Finally ''normal'' precipitation for Apr,into May,almost there now for the year to date totals. Near center of pic you can probably see the cut stump of that dead leaning Red Oak I removed a couple weeks back.I left the wood (about a 1/3rd of it was on other side of that shallow ravine),in same spot until returning,carrying it across to other side,then using 2 wheel dolly to bring it to the truck.
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Need to get the old garage door fixed/rebuilt so I can get the John Deere 110 with the heavy duty cart back outside.Until then,when I'm working in certain areas that might get the truck stuck (and no way of getting out really since I'm by myself most of the time) I park as close as I dare,then use 2 wheel dolly to haul the logs through the grass to the truck,then loading it one at a time.Not the best way or certainly the easiest,but its good cardio lol and will work for now until things are different.Plus the dolly works better for me than a regular wheelbarrow -I used one of those so much on the job all those years you can say I'm fed up with them haha.Though like most tools,they have their place & certain uses,just not here.A dolly you almost never have to lift the heavy logs up at all.Where as with the wheelbarrow you have to lift them INTO the tub,which can be a real PITA & back breaker....
Havent lost my strength yet,but am in no real rush (good thing too) and my stamina/endurance is mostly gone compared to age 35-40,but thats normal.Still it keeps me going,I stop to rest for a couple minutes every 30 min or so now.No big deal.
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Smaller White Oak snag I'll be getting before too long.Almost perfect sized,(though I prefer bigger stuff when available) just a couple rounds from the stump end will need split,and then,just in half.
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Pile of mostly Bur Oak branches/tops,from a nearby blowdown last Fall.I'll start on these too before long.If the wood is sound,I bring in anything over 1" diameter,that up to 2" is used for kindling/fire starter.Anything less than 1" diameter is left in neat brush piles for the wildlife,rabbits etc & the birds like that for shelter.
Here in the random pile its 2" to around 6" diameter,roughly.In a year or so,the smaller sizes will be quite dry & ready to burn,once its cut to shorter lengths - 12" to 16" or so.
Largest chunks are close to 100 pounds,that's pretty much my lifting/carrying limit now,and I try to be slow/careful when doing so,not as reckless when younger
What's that old saying "Slow & steady wins the race"? I dont know about that,but I DO know when I take things slow & methodical I dont hurt near as much (if at all) in the next days afterwards....
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