I've noticed over time you end up processing a lot of softwood. Just curious if a lot of that is just due to trail maintenance/clearing and you dispose of most of it in burn piles or if you purposely look for softwood for your outdoor fireplace and for SS wood?
Most of the pine we've been burning for shoulder season wood came from the clearing we (includes the wife) did in 2018 but yes, some came from dead pine or making trails around the house. Our lot the house sits on was packed with White Pine, the north, east and west side have White Pine. The southside of the house has more hardwood with the back hill loaded with hardwood too. We did put in the outside fireplace in so we could burn the dead White Pine and any limbs.
I would've had more done but after the clearing and working inside the new garage (insulating) I had plantar fasciitis in 2018, that kept me from doing more. Just when Covid was starting to hit, I was diagnosed with Dupuytren’s contracture but the shot of Xiaflex was put off because of Covid and when they could do it, it was March of 2020 so other than painting the porch, I wasn't doing anything with saws or splitters. This year in early March I had surgery and then had to get the ok from the doctor before I could resume any work. I've been able to stay 4 plus years ahead (almost 5 based on 12 face cord of hardwood burned per year) so I'm happy about that. Our house lot was looking better after taking down a bunch of dead White Pine but after the clearing for the garage in 2018, it's a mess again but getting better. After I get a full six face cord of White Pine up for shoulder season wood for the fall of 2022, I'll start splitting & stacking the rest of the hardwood rounds we have left, Maple & Beech. When that is done, hopefully I'll take a week off and start felling more Ash off the back hill this fall. Hopefully my yearly checkup goes well this winter but we never know.
I finished up the back row (picture 1927 ) and started the second row of White Pine with some smaller rounds and splits of hardwood. Once I have the full six face cord stacked, I'll get going on splitting and stacking the Ash, Yellow Birch, Beech and Maple.
Nice work, brother, especially with the setbacks you have had. Just have to keep on keeping on. We have been behind the 8 ball all year as well, we have cut some here and there, but all of our oak sheds are empty. I have been working OT (48-84 hr weeks) since Nov 9th and doing the master bath remodel. But it will get done...
T.Jeff Veal How is the new guy at work doing? Hope he catches on quick so he can start to go solo which should free you up to get more done with your honey-do list
This just part of what we have to process. Tree service brought us 3 loads. We have hauled several more ourselves, and have a hickory and several more oaks to go get that are down. And more hickory to drop when we want it.
He has had 4 weeks of training so far, but he gets distracted easy...lol...the other operators haven't been that impressed yet. We are so busy, I haven't been able to do a power failure simulation yet. Maybe I can do that next week when I have him again. I know our process is different than where he did work, but he was a calciner operator over there too... 8 wks is all a greenhorn gets...
Earlier this year I had posted that because I was using a ROW, I would give the lady who has the driveway our ROW runs through a face cord of Ash, I did that earlier today. I'll post some pictures later. Since I was giving away some wood, I gave our other neighbor who burns wood a trailer load of seasoned American Hophornbeam or Ironwood. That will open up stacking for two face cord, I'll fill those areas with Ash, Beech and Maple.
The first three pictures are the Ash I delivered to the neighbor our ROW runs through her driveway that I used all spring, she wanted to pay me but I told her earlier this year it was a free face cord. The last two pictures are the American Hophornbeam I delivered to another neighbor, he never ask for it so this load was on the house. We had 52 face cord not counting the American Hophornbeam, we have 51 stacked with another 3 or 4 that needs splitting and stacking. I just made an appointment with the doctor who took care of my Dupuytren’s contracture, I have a small bump starting on the same hand but in a different area. I just want to make sure its not a tumor, hopefully it's just the start of Dupuytren’s contracture in another part of the same hand.
Today I covered six face cord of Ash we'll use this year, another two face cord of Ash in the same area has been covered since last year. I also covered two face cord of Ironwood we plan on burning this year if needed. In the same area the Ironwood is stacked, we a total of six more face cord covered, it's Beech and Sugar Maple that we'll give another year of seasoning. Hopefully tomorrow I can get more tarps spread out so they can dry and then cover more firewood. The last two years I've been getting more Beech, Yellow Birch and Sugar Maple, if we don't have enough covers for those stacks, we'll get more before fall.
I split and stacked a face cord of Sugar & Soft Maple today where the Ash was. It was one of those days it was nice out and then it would pour for 10 minutes. I still have some of the Maple left with Ironwood and Beech that will get stacked, tomorrow will be a day off from anything firewood related.
Red Oak and Ash mostly with some Maple, Black Birch and Cherry strewn about. The Red Oak gets separated to age an extra year.
