Sometimes you buck the system, sometimes the system bucks your wood

I've sat back with a certain satisfaction recently marveling at all the wood I've scrounged from the state highways over the past couple weeks. Today I was humbled. During some errands this morning, I saw a tree company taking down a roadside maple 2 streets over from my house. I stopped and asked a worker there if the wood was for grabs and he welcomed me to it, after they finished of course. I go back there later to find a pickup truck parked in that spot, halfway filled with wood, and another fellow scrounger with a grin on his face as his saw is humming away while he's making quick work of an easy score. I stop and ask him sheepishly, "are you taking ALL this wood???" He says everything he can fit in his truck. Then I notice he's a firefighter. He's got the stickers on his personal truck and a T-shirt that confirms it. So now not only am I out the most convenient score that would've been, but I can't even be mad or resent the man for it because he's a blasted fireman, a public servant who's probably done more good than I can even fathom. So I settled for going after a couple of huge chunks around the corner from that spot, which after 5 minutes in my saw ran out of gas and I was officially bludgeoned into defeat. This hard won oddball chunk is all I have to show for my payback from the system. .

 

Can't win them all.

 

Could have salvaged the day and offered to help the guy

 

I could have, yes. But I'm not that selfless He was a young enough guy in good shape and was tossing around logs with ease. If he was old, decrepit and struggling I would have felt compelled to help.

 

Strike one!

 

I hate when that happens Know the feeling as its happened to me! Plenty of wood in the state!

 

No doubt! Actually all around my neighborhood this past week Asplundh has been doing tree jobs... A lot of the wood is just sitting there but it's mostly BIG maple so I almost don't even want to bother inquiring. Eventually I'll hit the right score at the right time and I'll be back in the game.

 

Put it on your mantle A trophy to defeat? Or just a humbling reminder. A reminder to strike while the irons hot.

 

Asplundh went through my area last Fall. I had a field day with it. Scored multiple truckloads.
I have a big saw, will travel? Are these gnarly yard trees or mostly straight grained? I cant remember Eric, are you a hand splitter or hydro? Is there any manageable size wood from any of them you could grab?

 

I'm strictly a hand splitter for now. Hopefully I can spring for hydraulics in the fall. I've got some projects to take care of around the house first...
So the pieces that are left close to my house are pretty large maple, and most of it is that base-of-the-tree twisted grain stuff. Really knotty burl type wood 3 foot or larger. There's a lot of wood there, but whoever has a go at it is in for one heck of a time to even chunk the stuff up. I split that one oddball piece from yesterday and man, was that some twisted grain! It looked like a package of Ramen noodles inside. I'm sure a wood turner would love it but for someone that's looking for firewood, it's not ideal.

 

I hear ya and dont blame ya. Couple years ago a friend of mine texted me about the SM the town felled in front of his rental. I bucked everything except the gnarly big trunk. Even then some of it was tough splitting by hand. Ill leave the tough stuff for noodling even then it does a number on chains. One of the toughest to noodle IME.

 

I thought I was going crazy noodling this stuff! My saw was bogging down big time through it. I was definitely getting a workout. Then afterwards the chain was well on it's way to being toasted. I freshened up the edges but no way I'm going back for more of that abuse.

 

A year ago the town of Wallingford took down a big Norway maple in front of my friends house. He had me turn it into firewood.
Norwegian Noodles Anyone?
Was my thread.

 

Here's a tree of death for you guys if you wanna come to Michigan.Don't worry Eric Schamell , there's always more.

 

You felling that or waiting for mother nature to do it for you AC?

 

That looks like a tree that would be best felled from a distance by artillery fire. Get it on video and I'll bet it would go viral too!

 

My howitzer was in the shop!

 

I gotta get her down. Barcroftb suggested a good rope & block & tackle. I may try that & see if she'll break with my 12K winch.

 

between the two of you you're a couple good fellers

 

Just gotta get above the split cutter. What could go wrong?