Alright.. Fess up.. Who's NOT ready?

[AIM]

I am normally a bit behind cutting wood for the upcoming season but this year I am screwed.
Seems like life has just hammered me this year. Every weekend something is goin on that I have to attend. Weekdays have been long with work. I just can't catch a break.
Here it is the latter part of Sept and I have about 3 truckloads to my name. Once winter settles in I go through about a truckload a week. I should have 10-12 loads by now.
Finally this weekend I have nothing going on so I'm planning on marathon cutting days and lo and behold. Weatherman says rain all weekend. I'll still cut but it takes the fun right out of it.
Looks like it's gonna be a long winter for me. Cuttin in the deep snow. Cuttin during bitter temps. Not gonna be able to take many weekends off of cuttin this winter.
Anybody else in pitiful shape for this year?

 

[hanniedog]

You aint the only one who is behind. It has been either to hot or wet to get much done at all. Did get some cut last Saturday but now its to wet to get back to it. It raining pretty good right now.

 

[lone wolf]

Irene has put us behind on Firewood splitting.:bang:

 

[Whitespider]

Ooooooohhhhhh yeah…… I’ve been there, actually worse off than that.
Last year I started cutting firewood on Halloween morning, I didn’t have a single stick put up. I was “out in it” every Saturday and some Sundays, in the rain, snow, sleet, cold, wind, and whatnot… I do feel for ya’. I was wading in crotch-deep snow, pulling logs out with my 4X4 and dragging them to the house. I hadn’t been burning wood in the house for a few years because of some health issues with my daughter and I paid for it in sore muscles… fought some terrible back pain all winter. But I made it through the winter without buying any more LP (filled the tank the day before Halloween); we use LP for hot water and I’m still on that tank… probably will need to fill again around Halloween.

And I kept right on cuttin’ and splittin’ right up until the 4th of July, took July and August off, and jumped right back in the first of September. Right now I’m cuttin’ and splittin’ standing-dead and blow-downs, and because of the dry weather ‘round here last couple months, I’m finding them bone dry… not even bothering to stack outside, just tossin’ right down the coal shoot. I should have 6-7 cord of dead in the basement by Halloween, probably more stacked outside, and I’ve got near 12 cord of oak stacked since spring as back-up (maybe not perfectly seasoned, but it’s got another two or three months to season and it’ll do in a pinch).

I ain’t never again gonna’ go through what I went through last winter. Good luck friend… and I mean that in a positive way. Find yourself a stand of dead elm close-by.. that would be your best bet.

 

[Nuzzy]

One of these years, I'd like to finally get on the two year seasoning plan; just haven't been able to pull my #### together enough to make it happen :frown: I'll be alright for this year, but it'll be a good push through Sept and early Oct to get everything set. I'd love to blame the new baby last winter in making it harder to manage weekends in the woods this past spring, but I should've just made time or acquired the baby sitter support... Oh well. Another year with multiple chimney cleanings on the horizon.

 

[ccarpen4753]

Yeah Im there too, been there seems like the last three years. Never enough time, weather never cooperates, something goiing on, something else broken. Never ends. Well good luck to everybody. We will all make it through, people like us always do.

 

[cedarman]

well, the good news is I got 4 cords of white oak split and sittin in a pile

the bad news is when i split it this past winter I didnt stack it or get it off the ground. I threw it in a pile and left it as is.

now the top of the pile is seasoned well, however the middle in the bottom of the pile looks almost as green as the day I cut it.

maybe if i mix the good stuff with the green ill be okay. maybe.......

 

[Wife'nHubby]

Okay, I will dust your bonnet - The wood I'm working on now should be for 2013/14.

Go ahead, bash away, it's been along haul to get where I'm at.

Shari

 

[cedarman]

Okay, I will dust your bonnet - The wood I'm working on now should be for 2013/14.

Go ahead, bash away, it's been along haul to get where I'm at.

Shari

it sounds as if you have alot of time on your hands

 

[IHDiesel73L]

I've got 5 cords split, stacked, and dry that's been sitting under cover since last winter, but my furnace is another story. I put off ordering new gaskets from Englander until last week and still haven't had time to get them on. It needs a paint job too-my dehumidifier died this summer and it got a little damp in the basement. So far the nights have been just on the edge. We leave all of the shades open on the south side of the house all day and keep the windows closed at night. Most mornings have been 61-62 in house, which, after the brutal summer we had, actually feels kind of nice. Come December 61 in the morning won't feel so nice I should be able to do the overhaul this week but I'd like to hold off on lighting until October.

 

[blacklocst]

Yea life happens but a splitter sure helps. Bought one this June and was able to cut, split and stack six cord with the little free time I had. So now I'm able to work on next years wood this fall in cool breezy conditions instead of 90 degree weather. Not rubbing it in but been there done that an its not a good feeling. Being 2 to 3 years ahead helps with the what ifs in life. Good luck.

 

[Farmall Guy]

I'm going to be cutting it close, I have about 6 cord cut but still need to get it all split. I spent all summer workin g on the house and the last 10 days I spent getting my wood shed built, digging wood out of the snow last year really took the fun out of it. I only went through around 4 cord last year but I was only heating my basement. This year I'll have the upstairs insulated and I have plumbing done so I'll probably burn a little more heating the whole house, while the weather is still some what decent I'll burn up all of my scrap lumber (non treated) and try to strech my hard wood as far as posible. If all goes well I'll have enough assuming I get out there and get it split and stacked inside.

 

[Slacker4]

My year has gone about as good. We had a harsh winter here last year with thick ice that didn't melt, which made it almost impossible for me to get much cutting done this winter. Then as luck would have it as the ice started to go away and i broke my foot putting me on crutches and in a walking boot for 8 weeks. Then we had one of the wettest springs we have ever had here. I am a manager at a Factory and I have a wife and 4 kids. So between work and all the sports that the oldest three kids are in has made it pretty tough on me to get caught up. I still have managed to get about 2 cords of wood cut, split and stacked. I still have two and a half truck loads of splitting to do but I am hoping I can keep the furnace going until deer season is over because where i cut i cant cut until after season is over. So yea I know what you mean.

 

[Somesawguy]

I've had a hard time with wood this year as well. It seems weekends always fill up, and it's almost impossible to do anything during the week especially now that it gets dark earlier.

Hang in there, and keep at it.

 

[wdchuck]

First year we're this far behind, need to scrounge up another three cords yet. I'm not worried too much. Getting set for next season......:msp_unsure:

 

[Biker Dude]

You're not alone, I have 1 face cord of Oak left over from last year and I haven't cut a stick yet this year. I go through 12-15 full cord per year but most of my cutting is done in winter. I never seem to get to that point where I have a lot of extra wood put up, It always seems like I'm going out cutting every 3 or 4 days all winter for a pickup load.

 

[Coldfront]

I was almost 2 years ahead but then I moved last November and had to start from scratch again. I have only 1 cord split and stacked so far and a lot of it is green. I got real lucky when a friend of mine said he knew where I can get some dry wood free, we went and picked up about 2 cords so far it is debarked poplar and has be sitting stacked debarked for over a year, the biggest pieces are about 6-8 inch round, and about 5 feet long, it is reject wood from a logging outfit. It is very dry and burns great, not much for leaving coals, but better than burning green wood. I should be able to get enough to make it through the winter. Before bed I will throw in some of the little bit of dry oak that I have. I got a 10 cord log truck load this summer but it is all green oak I will cut and split for next year. I also got some white pine free from work that has been sitting stacked almost 3 years I cut some of that and it is not rotting yet the bark comes right of when I cut it and when split it will dry real fast, so I should make it through the winter. More work because the pine and poplar heat good but leave a lot of ash and no coals.

 

[Steve NW WI]

I was a year and a half ahead going into last winter, but between 2+ feet of snow on the ground all last winter, no access to most of my woods till the crops come off, and with giving a couple cords to a neighbor who had some health problems last winter, I'm only looking at about 6 of the 8 or so cords I'll need this year cut, and only about 4 of them split and stacked.

I'm mildly concerned, but not worried. I have the tools and toys to build up a good stockpile again in a hurry, lots of dead standing elm to finish off this winter's supply, and a schedule that is starting to give a little. 2 full cords by myself on a weekend is easily doable, so by the time snow flies in earnest, I could well be 2 years to the good again.

 

[Laird]

I usually manage to get 15-20 cords a year and burn 10-15 so I am accumulating enough that I could take a year or two off if necessary. I hope that will not be necessary for a long time to come........:msp_rolleyes:

 

[russhd1997]

I have about a 1/2 cord of wood for my OWB to split then I can begin cutting it into 2' pieces. I will have about 18 cords to cut up once I am done splitting.

I emptied the wood shed in my sugar house last spring because we had an exceptional season last year. I usually have about a cord left over. I still need to cut about 2 more cords to have enough for the upcoming season. It won't be very dry but I should be caught up by snow fall.