Spent a good day with my father

[Valkyrie Rider]

While I remember having a hatchet in hand while Dad split wood in the garage, he passed when I was only 12 years old, so I've never been able to enjoy time with him as an adult or even anything more then a kid. We didn't burn wood too long while I was young though as we got a coal stove and burned coal for heat till after he passed away.

I'll always remember him in the garage splitting wood for the (at least when I was like 8) was a HUGE box stove in the finished basement. I even remember his buddy (and neighbor) laying the brick "hearth" and floor area where the stove would sit, in the then, unfinished basement... I couldn't have been more then 5 or so at that time.

 

[603doug]

My Dad who is 75 and in great shape decided to reclaim a long since grown up field this summer and we shared the wood. Had a blast working with him, on one of our few hot days he had cut his wood stove lenght and was loading it in his wheeler. I heard the tractor so rushed up to help and decided I was going to out work him(I am 51 and work construction)well to make a long story short if there had been a quarter cord more I would of passed out and the old fart was still throwing. Get him next time

 

[Kingsley]

I love these stories, I've read everyone.

My dad is a man I have always looked up too. He was the hardest working guy on any jobsite when I was a kid. He used to pick up an armful of lumber under both arms and charge away.
He didn't stay active and now is overweight and out of breath. He is only 62. It is really sad to work with him now. He has the motivation, but not the ability. The other day in the garage I was discussing having my younger (out of work) brother come down and split/stack wood. My father said he could come and help, I declined. So he says "hey listen, I have a few more helps in me".

 

[outdoorlivin247]

I would not trade my dad for the world...At 63, he can still out work the average 20 year old...

Pic of him about a month ago bucking up a large oak w/ me...

 

[Davej_07]

All of these replies make me REALLY glad I started this thread:biggrinbounce2:
Dave

 

[bowtechmadman]

Absolutely fantastic thread...Thank you everyone for sharing your stories. I made sure I took the camera out today. My Father wanted to help out today hauling some wood to the house. He's 77 and still getting around pretty darn good. I know I'm tired tonight and he worked w/ me hauling up 5 loads to house. Here are some pictures of some oak that we split and hauled out of the woods today.

 

[Guarddog1]

Absolutely fantastic thread...Thank you everyone for sharing your stories. I made sure I took the camera out today. My Father wanted to help out today hauling some wood to the house. He's 77 and still getting around pretty darn good. I know I'm tired tonight and he worked w/ me hauling up 5 loads to house. Here are some pictures of some oak that we split and hauled out of the woods today.

 

[cantoo]

My Dad helped me split firewood today too. I got a load of logs for next year, cut them into rounds the other night. I was only going to split a few pieces but did a few more, he came out so I shut down for a few minutes to talk. He said he had a sore back and wasn't feeling good. Chatted for awhile then he went back to the house, 20 minutes later he was back out there and setting rounds on top of each other for me. We ended up splitting 3 or 4 face cord. He's going thru some health issues right now and hates not being able to help.

 

[StihltheOne]

I started reading this post and I have to say it is pretty emotional for me. My dad passed in 02, I can still hear the saws, and smell the pine from our cutting outings. Dad had an ol blue SXL12 and would cut intill she vaper locked, then it was loading time. I learned alot about the world on those oh to few days, even though I was probably 13 the last time we went cutting. We thought that we were the real deal when dad salvaged a burnt up 360 from work, he put it together and I still have it. Man we were cool with that saw! Dad tought me that when you load a truck, you load it, saws on the floor board full, I can remember holding a gas can on my lap on the way home. I was always worried about the truck breaking, he would say, "you could pull a house with a good piece of twine, just dont jerk it!" My dad #2 is a former climber, logger, warehouseman,tree trimmer, he is still with us and what a great role model. A man stong in faith, short of words and I am convinced he has a big S on his chest, I have never been around such a solid man, at 68 years old, he has even as recently as 2 weeks ago put all of us forty somethings to shame.

 

[redprospector]

I envy you guy's that still have your dad's around to spend time with.
My dad died in July of 06 and I miss him terribly. He was my best friend for 46 years.
Never turn down an opertunity to spend time with your father's. There is nothing I own that I wouldn't gladly give to spend just one more minute with mine.

Andy

 

[Mntn Man]

I am so glad for all of you who grew up with your dad in your life. It warms my heart to hear how close of a relationship you can have. My dad had nothing to do with me after I was 4. I had a step-dad for a while after that who got me started in hunting and fishing, but he traveled and wasn't married to mom too long. I had another step-dad who I never did like, but his dad was like a father to me. He taught me all the things boys need to learn growing up and I thank God for him. I haven't talked with him much in the last 10 years since my mom divorced his ass-hat son, but have started to this year and am glad because he is in his seventies so may not be much time left to reconcile.

My dad came back into my life when I was 21. I love him and am glad to have him in my life, but our realationship will never be what it should. I will make sure my girls will be able to tell stories of me all of their lives. I am doing my best to teach them all about the outdoors and what is important in life and what isn't.

 

[nhlogga]

My dad has been a logger since he could run a chainsaw. He wanted more for me so he never really showed me how to cut wood. We did alot of other stuff though. When I turned 18 I needed a full time job so I went to work for my grandfather (dad's side of the family) who had a firewood business. Did that off and on for a number of years. Learned how to cut wood. Dad wasn't too happy but nothing he could do. Wound up working for another guy who showed me how to log and run a business. Grandpa has since retired, dad works construction, and I still work in the woods. I got grandpa's skidder when he retired. Walked into his house he handed me a piece of paper and said "it's yours now. I can't do it anymore." Construction got slow for dad last winter and I had my skidder on a woodlot I was cutting on weekends and dad came to work on weekends with me. Dad said he never thought he'd see the day he'd work in the woods with me let alone for me. Of course grandpa would come see us to make sure we knew what we were doing. When we get together we tell logging stories most we told many times over but they never get old. Some of the best times of my life.

 

[Harold46]

I lost my dad a few weeks ago. He was 63 and worked about every day of his life. He died behind the wheel of a blacktop truck. Heart let loose. We were in the woods together over the summer, and he loved splitting ash with the 8lb maul. We got a good load out that day. He's done hundreds of cords of wood.
Early September he met the wife, kids and I at the fair, and watched the grandchildren on the rides. Not long after we were shooting his 44 super redhawk, and he was geared up to deer hunt this year.
I carry his logging chain in my truck, and I run a 372XP just like his. He's always there with me in the woods.
Dads are awesome, love em while you got him.
Harold46

 

[Adiredneck]

When I was younger, I used to hate cutting wood. Seems like all we ever did was cut wood for my grandparents and ourselves. Seems like we were cutting wood all winter unless my dad had to plow snow for the County. I used to tell my dad "this is so stupid, why can't we just use the oil furnace".

That was back when you could actually afford to burn oil! We picked rocks in the fields and fixed fences in the spring, baled hay in the summer, cut wood all fall and winter.

Now that I have my own wood boiler, 135 acres and two saws, my dad reminds me a lot of what I used to say. He's now just turned 57 and will be retiring this November with 32 years at the County.

I am picking up Deer hunting this year for the first time in 14 years. Not for me, but to spend time with my dad. He figures every day he helps me with my firewood is a day I owe him to go deer hunting with him. Anyways, he's already 2 years ahead on HIS firewood... My 4 yr old son loves his "papa" and goes everywhere with him. He couldn't be with a better role-model.

 

[gallegosmike]

I just had a house built last year. With a wood stove in it, of course! My father spent most of his adult life in the navy(30 yrs). He was not home much of that time. I had a weekend father, but we lived a great life while he was serving ARE country. Last year we started firewood cutting togather. I now look forward to the fall wood cutting season and spending time togather in the woods. Anytime we can hang out do guy stuff is great. Life is too short and I am not getting younger, nor is he! Late winter to early spring is set aside for time out on the shooting range and late spring and summer for fishing at the cabin southern colorado.

This weekend, we finally made are first firewood trip togather. We cut about 3/4 cord of pinon pine and had a great time togather.

 

[jcappe]

I love cutting with my dad. He doesn't like me cutting by myself so he comes when he can. I remember like it was yesterday going with my Dad and Grandpa to the river bottom and cutting wood for my Grandpa. I was just a little squirt to young to cut but I could shoot stuff with my Red Ryder and help load splits. Gosh those were the days. I stil have both my parents and my 93 year old Grandma which I'm very thankful for but I sure do miss the ones that are gone.

 

[Zodiac45]

Those of you who can enjoy it while you can. I just lost my Pops at the end of the summer. He was 81 and although he and Mum were split up, we still hung out allot and did many things together. He was lucky and was pretty healthy for 80 of those years, just selling his Honda scooter a year ago. He had a stroke a year ago and it was downhill from there with prostate cancer coming back after being treated when he was 65. Actually that's what caused the stroke (blood-clots). Anyways, I took some time off to go down to far western Mass and get him out of the nursing home he hated. We took him over to my Brothers place in the Berkshires and set him up in a room there. Spent the next month or so reminiscing and laughing it up. He was lucky and didn't have much pain although he was the stoic type and never complained anyways. He passed in his sleep on a nice fall morning with a cardinal singing outside the window. He'll be missed but I'm glad it was relatively painless. Take the time to spend some quality time with you're family and folks. You'll be the happier for it. Z

 

[tanker]

I envy you guy's that still have your dad's around to spend time with.
My dad died in July of 06 and I miss him terribly. He was my best friend for 46 years.
Never turn down an opertunity to spend time with your father's. There is nothing I own that I wouldn't gladly give to spend just one more minute with mine.

Andy

Amen to that,been 9 years and just 10 minutes would let me say a lot to him now. Scott