Been awhile since I posted. Been staying healthy after a back injury earlier this year. Stocked up the wood piles as well following some tree work I did over the summer. Was outside today and as I was packing in for the morning I swore I could hear some faint cracking sounds coming from the wood pile. Given the conditions it may have been more than my mind playing tricks on me: How's everyone else out West doing? I imagine there are folks burning if they're far enough up the Rockies. Anyone at lower altitudes burning anything yet, or just burning up like us in KS? I've often started selling loads of wood by now. I've had customers reach out to make sure I'm still in business, but no one wants anything yet with conditions as they are now. Might not be moving much inventory until the end of the month or later.
I have delivered a few loads with the ac on. It seems weird to be sweating while loading wood, but I am grateful for the extra cash.
Been warm days and cool nights here. Next week shows 60s through the day. It'll be a good break on the electric bill.
Glad your back is better. I'm not that far west of you, except over 7K', so we burn at least every morning or the whole night through. We have been crazy warm for here in Sept/Oct and I'm loving it! Except the tinder dry and many red flag days recently.
We've had quite a few fire warnings as well. Guys are finishing cutting corn, and there's been a couple of times where the stubble has started to burn. Been able to contain pretty quickly, but it doesn't always go that way. Was up at about 8,000 feet this summer. Made it out to Pine/Buffalo Creek on a trip with some other friends. Spent a couple of days doing a lot of hiking and just hanging out. I really noticed the change in altitude. We're at 2,200 feet already so I'm sure some guys get it worse, but I was definitely a little short of breath!
Psst. Don't tell the others, but I only criss cross when I'm taking my time! There's about half the stacks that are just laid parallel. But yeah, between some criss crossing and the weather conditions it doesn't take long to get wood dry. Downside is it's a real bear to keep the living trees alive. I've seen even some pretty well established trees getting a bit of leaf burn from the drought lately.
I was just coming back to this thread to add, ran out of pellets so husband just started a fire Good news on the stubble burns, I just saw a post on telegram a guy in Sheridan Wy posted, new fire, can barely see the mountains/hogbacks(?) through the smoke where he's at. Fingers crossed for all of us.
Nice to see you posting again and glad you are well. Yeah with temps like that with full sun I'd be second guessing about hearing the wood cracking Am I seeing black locust mixed in there?
A little bit of BL in there! I know that's your jam. Unfortunately, most of what's in those pictures is Elm. I don't mean to say Elm is terrible or anything, but I'd trade it for Locust in a heartbeat. Got myself into a good bunch of Honey and Black Locust last year, but not much yet this year. There's a lot of Siberian Elm in the yards in this area that gets banged up by the wind and subsequently needs removed. I'd estimate that about 75% of the trees I felled for people this year were Elm.
Sorry to hear that. We've been fortunate so far, but it gets me nervous. A grass fire took my parents home about seven years ago now. Those fires are almost impossible to stop if there's enough wind behind them.
