Wife'nHubby
Addicted to ArboristSite
In the fall of '08 I had just joined this group and was starting my journey of trying to at least supplement our oil heat with a fireplace w/blower. We were short of wood, splitter was broke, novice me came here for some help. It wasn't just too long after my initial posts that along came someone from this list with a pickup load of seasoned firewood(!) that kept us going that first winter. Today, we are pretty well stocked with firewood for this season and more wood is seasoning for 2010/11.
Anyway, today I had to dig out our little trailer and get the stuff that has sat on it all winter over to the recycling center. Winter had come too soon for me to get the trailer emptied, hubby had been in the hospital, etc. so I just hadn't gotten the last of the rotten apples, gnarly pieces and splitting debris off the trailer.
Drove over to the recycling center and there's a very old man (guessing he's around 85+ yrs. old, old enough to not be able to stand up straight) and his grandson using an ax on a very, very large willow trunk someone had dumped off. The two men were whittling away at that green trunk and loading what they could onto their pickup.
I sidled up to them with my truck/trailer and asked if they wanted the little bit of chips and gnarly stuff in my trailer instead of me dumping it on the ground. They said yes(!) and the old man walked over to me saying his last oil fill cost him over $600 and he was trying to stay warm using his wood stove instead. He admitted using green wood wasn't the best but there are 'slim pickins' around this time of year. So.... I start thinking about what I have at home - time to 'pay it forward'. I asked them if they would follow me home.
When the old man and the young man left our home, with what little they had scavenged from that ol' willow and the good, 2 yr. seasoned split hard maple from my stash, the old man had a heaping pickup truck load and a really, really big smile on his face. When they left I gave the old man a hug and said "Now, you stay warm, okay? Pay it forward someday if you can."
He said he would.
And, no, I don't even know who he was.
EDIT: You guys are embarrassing me with all the kudos & reps. I just posted to suggest others 'pay it forward' to those truly in need at this time of year..png "Love :heart:")
Shari
Anyway, today I had to dig out our little trailer and get the stuff that has sat on it all winter over to the recycling center. Winter had come too soon for me to get the trailer emptied, hubby had been in the hospital, etc. so I just hadn't gotten the last of the rotten apples, gnarly pieces and splitting debris off the trailer.
Drove over to the recycling center and there's a very old man (guessing he's around 85+ yrs. old, old enough to not be able to stand up straight) and his grandson using an ax on a very, very large willow trunk someone had dumped off. The two men were whittling away at that green trunk and loading what they could onto their pickup.
I sidled up to them with my truck/trailer and asked if they wanted the little bit of chips and gnarly stuff in my trailer instead of me dumping it on the ground. They said yes(!) and the old man walked over to me saying his last oil fill cost him over $600 and he was trying to stay warm using his wood stove instead. He admitted using green wood wasn't the best but there are 'slim pickins' around this time of year. So.... I start thinking about what I have at home - time to 'pay it forward'. I asked them if they would follow me home.
When the old man and the young man left our home, with what little they had scavenged from that ol' willow and the good, 2 yr. seasoned split hard maple from my stash, the old man had a heaping pickup truck load and a really, really big smile on his face. When they left I gave the old man a hug and said "Now, you stay warm, okay? Pay it forward someday if you can."
He said he would.
And, no, I don't even know who he was.
EDIT: You guys are embarrassing me with all the kudos & reps. I just posted to suggest others 'pay it forward' to those truly in need at this time of year.
Shari
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