That time of year again!

Yep, its that time again. The days are getting shorter. There's a hint of a nip in the air. And the compost dumps are getting busy with every kind of woodcutters/burners that exist.
You have the serious ones like us that have been doing it all year and just happen to be there because trees are showing up for the grabs.
Then you have the hobby burners that want a little Oak for the winter to burn on a few snowy nights. They have smoke dragons who earn that name every time they burn, but its only a few times so they dont worry about it. You can recognize them with their safety helmets on but no chaps or gloves. They mean well, but they just dont have the total picture in mind.
But, then you have the dangerous ones. They're the ones that cut everything for heating right before they need it. They have no protective equipment because "that's for wusses", and their chains haven't seen a file or grinder in months. They like to blow off about how Pine is terrible, Mulberry is crap, and the only wood that is worth burning is Oak and Ash because that's what someone told them a long time ago. You want to agree, but feel the need to tell them that Oak takes a few years to dry, but you get bombarded with scoffing and laughter. After all, they have been doing it for years.

I realize that I was a greenhorn not that long ago, but the thing that really scares me about the last crowd is that they resist learning anything. They are comfortable in their ignorance while they play with a ticking time bomb. They put others in danger with no care in the world and they think your the idiot for trying different things or learning about the craft.

I'm getting excited about the upcoming season, I love it. I have a ton of work ahead of me, but its worth it. I came home with a smorgasbord of wood the other day and that excites me. I had Apple, Locust twigs, Walnut, Mulberry, Hard Maple, Beech, and some mystery wood that looked like some kind of Elm. Each one with their different advantages and disadvantages that I can utilize in the coming winters to create just the right fire for the need that I'm in. How can you not love that?
The question that I loved while I was at the dump was "What wood are you looking for?" The only answer I could give was "Anything but Cottonwood and Willow."
I guess the nice thing about being ahead is that I can avoid the dump when the wrong crowd is there. LOL

So, Whats your story?

 

I see some new piles of wood as
I drive around. (Not yet stacked )
Nice fresh looking , just recently bucked & split for sure.

Looking forward to Oct & the beginning of my woodcutting.

I've been fire pit burning some uglies from last Fall cut stuff , I just stacked in the shed,
burns pretty good, but nothing like the 3 year stuff.
Explaining the difference to folks & getting the "deer in the headlights" stare.

Like you, I love this time of year

 

I am working at a 750 acre farm at the moment. Right on the driveway. Mid week two trucks come flying down the driveway and turn down the farm drive not up to the big house which got torn down and a new one rebuilt. 3 hours later out come the two trucks at top speed loaded down with rounds. At least they looked to have been standing dead or dead fall. I asked the lady that runs sheep on the farm who they were and one of them has the hunting permit for the property.

 

I only stop cutting in the woods when I can't get in there anymore because of snow, or hunters.
Ooops, I for the ticks. I stay out of the woods for about 1.5 months because of the little bastages.
I was last over there a week ago today. I need to get back to finish the big Oak I took down. That'll take several trips.
I'd like to get as much Oak as possible before the snow flies......at least a couple more cord/s.

 

I hope I'm wrong but seeing all the late deliveries of firewood, makes me think we'll have more chimney fires in this county.

Because of the hard winter and the wet spring/summer, the firewood deliveries are behind by 3 months or so.

 

I hear ya, I'm concerned about two things with that. First, people's safety and second giving the rest of us a black eye because of haphazard practices.

 

HEAP buys green firewood all winter long for some residents in our area, it's either burn that or freeze, pick your poison.

 

Life or death situations end up being a different animal all together. I'd be willing to bet that those people aren't smug about it either.

 

I've had a summer pretty much away from my firewood. House projects n stuff. Grass is still growing as hard today as it does in June. Unreal. But... I'm feeling the fall thing too. Have had a few fires in the pit. Put the claw on the tractor this morning and got all excited heading down into the woods to my brush piles... thinking I was gonna burn, burn, burn in the pit. Ha... when I lifted up the piles... they were wetter than than a shark's azz. No way I'll be able to burn any of that stuff unless I bring up what I want to burn in the morning and lay it out in the sun all day, for an evening burn. Gonna try that.
As it gets colder, I'm already scheming on what my next big moves are gonna be... Like PD, I've got some tops I've still gotta get too.

 

My story? .................Properly aged, it all burns. As long as its not pressure treated or railroad ties, its BTU's of varying levels. I'm not proud, I'll burn it all.

 

... heat... good.

 

Get some good coals going then bring up the wet chit, it will burn.

 

I've had at least three years worth stacked up since last November. I'm thinking of ordering up a load on about the first of October when it is cooler out. That would be wood for burning in '18.

 

Story wise I was thinking about stories of dealing with the other people out there. But that will do too!

 

It ant even realy started around here much I have only had a couple mention getting ready but it won't be long I love to here them talk about it The cutters and the buyers

 

I have my eye on a couple of dead standing oaks for this fall. I'll take a few pictures when the time comes around. It's on my mind every day. I've been focusing on oak this year to get ahead and let it dry, but I would also like to get a little aspen, sasafrass and maple for shoulder season, fire pit use and kindling.

Looks like we have a lot of planners on the forum. I'll burn everything too, but can't predict what might fall in my lap.

I like the hunt!

 

There is a guy down the road from me that buys log loads, probably 8-10 cords, piles them along side his driveway, and they disappear a little at a time over the winter, he just bucks and splits as he needs. He was in the yard when I drove by one time so I stopped to ask him who he gets the logs from and what he pays. He told me he buys by the log load because, "it's cheaper and the wood doesn't rot like it does if you buy it pre split". He gave me a very stern warning about buying a log load and then cutting, splitting and stacking the whole load, said it would rot and that if I left it in log form the bark would keep the moisture out and it wouldn't rot.