A few thoughts at the wood pile

[Davej_07]

While loading up my wood tote to bring into the house this evening I paused and thought for a moment. Its mid November, the temps in SE WIsconsin are just now starting to warrant real heating as opposed to just knocking the chill off the house, and my split, stacked, well seasoned firewood is either in the garage or just outside the side door tarped. I couldnt help but think," Well, at least I had the forethought and drive to cut and scrounge enough wood last year to ensure a toasty warm house this winter. Im fortunate enough to enjoy working in the woods and have found a few places to haunt on a regular basis to make sure that 2013's wood will be cut and seasoning before long. I can hardly wait to see how many ties WE Energies contacts me this year about replacing my gas meter. (It was replaced once already, during the first winter I headed with wood.) The morons inspected it twice and then replaced it even though they had to walk past my woodpile to get to the meter.
I see the Craigslist ads from people that supposedly are out of work, only heat with wood, have no wood, and are looking for free seasoned wood. I was out of work last year also and that was one of the reasons I HAVE enough wood for this year. It reminded me of the grasshopper and the ant, and for once IM the ant!!! LOL

Some people dont understand us, some would try and stop us.......But to those of use who enjoy the WHOLE process from cutting to burning.........Life is good


Ok, I think its time for a beer by the fire........

Dave

 

[Steve NW WI]

Ok, I think its time for a beer by the fire........

Dave

I beleive that's a dang good idea! I've started bringing in the elm and maple now, I've about used up my stash of box elder and horse chestnut, although I have some more box elder and poplar stashed for the other end of the season. Just glad we aren't down to the fill er full of oak temps yet, but we all know it's coming!

Ferrellgas took me off their keep fill plan a few years back because I didn't use enough. Dang...

Have a great burn season fellow Cheesehead, and if you're headed out in blaze orange in the morning, may the turdy point buck cross your path!

 

[branchbuzzer]

Some people dont understand us, some would try and stop us.......But to those of use who enjoy the WHOLE process from cutting to burning.........Life is good
Dave

For me the best part is when, after a cutting/splitting/etc. job, some person gives me an extra tip because "that was really hard work...". "Well, if you insist...", I'm chuckling to myself.

Don't they realize I'm having fun? That some poor schmo down at the health club is paying $whatever/month to do the very same thing and doesn't have a pile of firewood and/or cash when he gets done? Guess not, eh?:biggrinbounce2:

 

[deerlakejens]

I remind my son all the time of that fact that some people actually pay a gym to get the exercise we get for free but he doesn't seem to buy it. The whole process of heating with wood has to be one of the most rewarding pastimes around.

 

[branchbuzzer]

I remind my son all the time of that fact that some people actually pay a gym to get the exercise we get for free but he doesn't seem to buy it.

When he has to start buying stamps to send his own heating bill in, he'll probably start buying it.

 

[spike60]

Going to be hard to sum it up any better than Davej's opening post. I do like the entire process. Collecting saws is one hobby, but the whole wood gathering process, while obviously related, is unique and different. And I'd enjoy it just as much if I only had one or two saws, which was the case several years ago. There's a certain piece of mind you get when you know that you've got your heat covered a year or two out, and you are not haunted by what oil or propane prices might do.

27 degrees this morning, and looking like it will be an overcast day. Just a half day at the store, and this time of year, most of what we do will be saw related business. There's something like 20 saws that are done and guys will be coming in to pick them up. Get some oil, chains, and whatever accessories. Come noon time, I'm heading over to a buddy's house to help him do some cutting. Decent size maple came down in a recent windstorm. It's a little hung up, so we've got some technical cuts to do, then we'll just buzz it up for firewood. Like me, he's got two years of wood socked in, but we're both wound up on getting in the woods to harvest this tree.

Going to bring a 266XP and a nice blue Super XL; he'll have his Jonny 625 and a 334T for the small stuff. Going to haul it out with his Cub Cadet utility vehicle; probably 3-4 loads. Going to be a good day!

You guys enjoy the weekend, and everybody cut safe!

 

[mustangwagz]

Come on inside, i got the Answer your looking for..

I agree with the origianal OP as well. SO far, we've had cold nights (high 20's to low 30's) Days warm up to usually atleast 40 or 50 for now here in PA. The neighbor and i have enough wood to supply the neighborhood! Last year, Peoples Natural Gas company replaced both of out meter's and still couldnt figure out why we were only using so much. Finally one of the meter guys came to the house to talk to me. He stopped at the neighbors as well after leaving my place. He came mid january, it was a saturday afternoon. I had my toys scattered through out the yard and the smell of 2 stroke hung in the air like fog hangs over the river in the morning. He greated me and proceeded to tell me the "issue" he was having with my meter and a close by neighbors. I replied with, Cmon in the house for a minute, i think i have the answer to your situation in the house. Headed toward the house, i asked if he liked the nice cold weather we we're having. He replied with "it doesnt bother me, i heat with coal"..thinking to myself, OhhH, the smelly, dirtier alternative..

As soon as we came into my home, he about died.. The Fire was easily visible from the doorway, and the 90 degree heat ##### slapped him right in the face! he proceeded to then ask, Wow..you heat this whole place with wood huh? i replied Yes..only thing i heat gas with, is my water tank. i think this will explain why i'm only using 13.00 Dollars worth of hot water per month. "HA, i never even put any thought into it when i seen you cutting wood as i pulled in" he exclaimed. (thinking to myself, yah...the 10 cord of stacked, split, seasoned wood piled mile high, and yay-wide never clicked eh?..)

i then asked, what neighbor are you going to visit next? he said "Lawrence K." and i said, yah..larry...he's got MORE wood than i do and he's in the same boat. lol he said he wasnt even going to go over, cuz he now knows why neither of us have big bills.

It turns out, the gas company was over charging me..i hadnt paid a gas bill up untill this month. All the previous charges we're WAY over quota. (even at 13-25 dollars a month) i quit receiving gas bills in feb of 2010. I just now got one for 53.00 and it was an estimate..Imma send them 20 bucks a month, every month, untill they come out again this year to change the meter and discuss the issue AGAIN..When they do..ill simply do the same as i did last year.."Come on inside, i believe i have the answer for your problem in there.."

With todays day and age...everyone wants to get rich off of someone, somehow..and with the gas company, its no surprise. Next it'll be the electric Company..and ill have a way to beat them at their game as well. Untill then, imma keep on doin what i do best, and be glad that my mom and dad raised me with enough smarts to know just how damn good wood heat is!! Ohh, yah and ill prolly do some sweating while i sit here and type to yinz guys..lol..always do!!

 

[100 Watt]

Kind of funny, some of my friends grimace when they see my "pile" of wood that needs split and stacked. All they see is hard work and are thinking, I feel sorry for him. Little do they know I can't wait for the weekends to pop in some earplugs and go to work. Earplugs are brain food, they block everything out and enable me to concentrate. I've solved lots of "problems" while splitting and stacking. Be safe.

 

[arborsoldier]

I'm with you brother. We burned 6 cords of wood last winter. maybe more, maybe less. We were strapped for cash and oil wasn't an option. NBD. The wife and I persevered. House was warm, enough said.

 

[mustangwagz]

I'm with you brother. We burned 6 cords of wood last winter. maybe more, maybe less. We were strapped for cash and oil wasn't an option. NBD. The wife and I persevered. House was warm, enough said.

S.E. pa huh? where abouts?

 

[jhoff310]

This will be my first year burning at this house. I grew up with wood heat and loved it. I am waiting to see my gas bill or lack there of. The gas company came and replaced my meter a year ago because they thought my gas bill should be higher than $300 a month for a 2500 sqft house.

I am stoked and ready to go

Jeff

 

[audible fart]

My gargantuan woodpile is visible from the road. I've had people stop and ask me if I sell it, or how much I charge. They look annoyed when I tell them I don't sell it; as if I must be lying. As if I'm profiling them or something. I also had a neighbor that rented a splitter to split less than a bedload of wood I was out maul splitting and he offered to lend it to me. Yea right. The way people are these days the splitter would blow up on the first round and I'd be getting calls from a lawyer.

 

[blades]

Yep, Got a visit from the gas company about a month ago, something wrong with meter was their statement. Guess they can't quite figure out how I keep reducing their billing. Maybe it had something to do with 1 a new 95% furnace 2 years ago, a wood furnace that same year ( more trouble than it is worth but it did help reduce costs enough to pay for itself) last year installed my old stove on the main floor and cut some more out of their pocket. This year I replaced the old stove with a Englander 30nc. Removed a bad temperancing valve on the hot water line ( every time you would flush the head the hot water heater(gas) would kick on). I have one more trick up my sleeve yet as far as the hot water heater. I get a reverse flow on the exhaust when it is not heating (side wall exhaust) so I need to put a damper on it to prevent that. ( stove has an OAK) Middle of Oct. to Middle of Nov. gas cost $24.xx and that includes all their extra charges. 2000 sq ft ranch built in 59/60. Oh and it is avg temp inside in the mid 70's ( Silver maple fuel) so far no gas furnace used nor the wood furnace.

 

[Biker Dude]

I'm not as prepared as you are, I only have about 2 cord stacked up but I have this nice load to process this weekend so life is good.

 

[dolmen]

Good on ya Dave.

First year I was out of work I gathered firewood from along the quietier road sides and cut it up with a hand saw ... gathered enough wood to justify a chainsaw the second year, then an old tractor and all cheaper than buying fuel, not counting anything for my time of course.

Some folks may not have good health enough to work at firewood, others may just be too lazy!

I'm now about three years ahead in my store and have enough to cut this winter that will do a further two years ... and I give almost half of what I get to a pal who's eager enough to come work at getting it home.

Cheers

 

[D&B Mack]

S.E. pa huh? where abouts?

Will be out in West PA for Thanksgiving visiting the family and cutting some firewood for my father. He lives near Irwin, where roughly is your location?

 

[D&B Mack]

I'm with you brother. We burned 6 cords of wood last winter. maybe more, maybe less. We were strapped for cash and oil wasn't an option. NBD. The wife and I persevered. House was warm, enough said.

+1 on the location Arbor, where you at? I am right outside Pottstown.

 

[dmlefevre]

It's good honest work, no bs, and you can't fake it out - be prepared, think ahead and enjoy 75 degree heat in the dead of winter

 

[Pleasant Ridge]

I have a CB5036 and heat 3200 sf of finished space and 1500 sf of unfinished basement. The LP company wanted to set a 500 gallon tank to feed the 5 ton split system on the first level and basement. I insisted on a 250 for cheaper rent. I only use 50 gallons each summer for hot water. Because of the boiler, I actually shopped LP companies based on the tank rent instead of the price of gas. Two summers gone and 45% left in the tank. I could go two more years!

 

[wfsdno]

I agree, those that don't burn, don't understand. The guy I work with can't seem to understand it. Thinks I waisting my time, as you guys, I LOVE cutting and splitting!:hmm3grin2orange:

So much more enjoying than sitting watching TV.

Enjoy and be Safe!! Roger