My 17yo was burning through our oak block firewood in the basement bin because the front porch wood rack has been empty for several days now (and it's easier than bringing in logs from the side door stacks.) Time to fill the rack on the porch. We only bring inside enough at a time to fill a small firewood rack beside the stove. We picked up the lawn cart on CL for $75 two years ago to move the wood up from the back yard. The old enamel pot in the background of the second pic serves as our ash bucket.
Sounds like the 17 yo should have tried burning the coal from his Xmas stocking instead Would have been easier than re filling the rack.
Thanks. Three trips with the cart fills the porch. We put the longest stuff nearest the door and burn it EW, and the rest we burn NS. We just sort it while we're emptying the cart.
No offense. It's just that I remember my old man would have put me in the express lane of the path of least resistance. I didn't understand his principle back then when I was 17, but sure as heck do now.
Yeah, makes me wonder if I'll ever get it right. My dad pushed me so hard that when I had kids I decided to never push them that hard. Now they're older and I can see where it would have helped them, and me, if I had been more demanding of them. All of mine are pretty good kids, but it seems it takes them forever to grow up and on their own these days. I've never pushed my son to help with the firewood. They all see it as my hobby. They're kinda right though. I'm pretty particular about how I like things done. If you've got your 17yr old helping you even a little your doing better me.
Do I see some birch is in the stack ? Some parts of heating with wood are boring, but necessary. Good he's taking an interest & learning, lead by example
Yep, good eye. One of my patients had a white birch taken down in the summer of 2012 and asked if I wanted it. I enjoy working with both of my sons but my oldest is in his third year of college and isn't home much now. He had a full time job this past summer doing construction and the previous summer worked at the local PepsiCo bottling plant picking orders. Hard work. My youngest son wants to go to college but first he wants to spend two years after high school doing construction, both to learn the basics of how to do and fix things around the home and also to save money for college. His goal is to finish college with no student loan debt whatsoever. He started his own lawn service this past summer at age 16 and had a dozen clients. He just finished all his paperwork for Eagle Scout and will receive it early in 2014. My oldest son is also an Eagle Scout.
Sounds like you are doing a great job of raising kids Brian. This sort of thing always makes me think of that little proverb: Spare the rod, spoil the child.
