"Things to Ponder" , cutting firewood observations

This past fall, while out cutting in the State cutting area, I noticed several more folks
coming out to get wood. More than in the past years.
I would say 3 out of 10 stuck with it to get a full load.
1 out of 10 stuck it out to get their full quota, (3 cord minimum)

When they came out, they'd look for the easy stuff, of course it's long gone.
Then they'd get as close as they could, Many times, taking a newer truck off road. Then
needing costly repairs on their rigs . Cut & load a little wood to prove they were out
cutting firewood, but not come back for more.
When they saw how much work was involved, they'd change their mind.

The few I talked to , liked my system but it too was a lot of work.
I told them they should go with a home delivery of a "Log length load" if they wanted
to cut their own wood.
Most said it was too much work & expense & said they would just buy
processed delivered wood or more diesel (heating oil)

Higher fuel costs motivated many to cut firewood, but quit shortly after starting.
Are most Americans so spoiled that when it comes to the hard work involved ,
it's easier to give up & quit & buy firewood or heating oil ? Maybe just to busy.

Maybe I'm to hard headed to give in , but in all honesty, I enjoy the hard work
it take to get 6 cord of wood stacked up & seasoning. I look forward to doing it.

In my neighborhood, (say 1% burn wood regularly) I see one other wood burner,
they have wood delivered. Seasoned wood, well I'm not so sure.
In defense though, NG is reasonably priced , clean burning.
To look at the cost/benefits analysis might make the 99% of them,
much smarter than me. & that's OK.

I've never tried to put how many dollars/hour, $$
I put into filling a 1 year section of the wood shed.
Got to be pennies per hour .

To me it comes down to ;
I'm retired & have time to do it.
Gives me good exercise.
I save enough money to more than pay for the tools & fuel I'm using, .
I really enjoy the whole process.
I like to tweak & improve my system to fit my situation.
It's fun being outside, in the woods working at my own pace.
The good warm feeling, looking at the full wood shed & the long stack of seasoning wood,
more than makes up for the muscle aches & pains felt along the way

Just an observation, "Things to Ponder"

 

I think this quote is by Thomas Edison, " Opportunity is missed by most people because it is dressed in overalls and looks like work."

Plenty of people see an opportunity to save money on their heating bill, few people will follow through with it once they realize what it takes to get the job done.

Yes bogydave, "you are too hard headed to give in." I think it is safe to say that most of the people on this site have the same hard headed issue. I couldn't imagine not going out in the woods and getting work done. Lets face it, not everybody is cut out to sit around all day and watch TV or play Xbox.

 

I know wood burning is a lot more hard work then I thought it would be when I started a couple years ago. I wonder if it starts as something "romantic or nostalgic" for those people and they move on to something that requires less work to get that feeling?

 

Good post Dave.
My brother and nephew have recently been hinting that they'll need more wood for this year.
Then, the hinting came down to asking if I'd sell some to them.
Jokingly mentioning that if I noticed them driving to the stacks with a trailer, to just ignore them.
I finally got just a bit peeved and told my nephew that they had the same opportunity to get firewood I did, but chose to spend their time and money on other things.
Not my fault or problem when I know they're capable of doing this, but just too lazy.
Always reminds me of the story of the 3 little pigs.
You and I (others as well) are the one that built the brick house, rather than the one of sticks or straw.
I'll continue this pursuit for a while, even though I do get a little bit tired of it sometimes.

 

I guess I knew how much work it was and how much wood it took because we burnt wood when I was young. I knew exactly what I was getting into, but the old lady had no idea! Stuck with it like a trooper, though. Next year will be easier.

 

I agree that most are too lazy, or think they're too busy. I "sacrifice" tv time to cut wood. No real sacrifice there for me. Most people take a thermostat, running water etc. for granted. Most people wouldn't survive long without the modern conveniences, working that hard for heat is a foreign concept. I have to go at it with a do what needs done mentality, it's just the way I am. To each his own I guess, but I don't want to cut this winter's wood tomorrow. A C

 

I'd rather be out in the fresh air than vegged out in front of the tube with contrived packaged low value entertainment bombarded with ads for minipads, viagra and crap beer.
Some day my body won't let me be out here and I'd rather get every minute in that I can so I'll have something to remember when I can't.
All the little insignificant challenges and decisions taking advantage of the day, time and weather might be a bit mundane might be minor accomplishments, but they are accomplishments just the same.
I just can't sit on my azz in the house all day.

 

yes sir...well said Bogy.

 

It does take a lot of work and not everyone has the will and follow through to do it. I see plenty of piles of half processed wood in rotting in people's yards around town. They cut a tee down themselves or have their tree guy leave the wood ands it sits there rotting, never to be split. Even worse to see, across town someone got a log load several years ago. They got as far as cutting it into rounds and stacking it on the side of their yard. The rounds are now rotting into the ground.

I enjoy it, it keeps me busy. It's more of a lifestyle than a chore.

 

I work in the water works industry. It amazes me every day that people have no idea what it takes to have clean running water. Water is free! Yes, it is. Go down to the river. Bucket out what you need. Tell me how it tastes!

 

Dave,
Reminds me of the busiest time of the year at the gym. January, new years resolutions. Everyone flocks to the gym with the best of intentions to buckle down and get in shape, be healthier. Come mid march the place is like a ghost town. Getting in shape, working out, is like processing your own wood. You work hard you get results.

 

Just have to face the facts. Processing your own firewood can be a time consuming task.
Much easier (but more costly) to just pick up the phone.
I'm having a helluva time finding folks willing to deliver log-length. The mills and pellet plants are taking everything.

To the folks that post and say- I had 10 cord of Locust offered to me,....but it was too far to drive (15 miles) , so I passed on that offer. I say.....-.......-.........-.......-..-..-..-...(deleted)

 

Like a lot of folks in New England, I got my stove a few years ago when I had no heat or power and 12 trees in my yard on Halloween.

I ordered my wood that year from an old company in Westchester County, NY that guarantees one year "seasoned" wood. It burned just adequately. Heated the house well enough to let me know that I could heat the 2200 sq ft 2 story 1968 colonial with just the stove.

I found this community in a different place about 2 weeks after I started burning. I started c/s/s immediately. The 2 year wood I burned this year was so amazing. Enough for me to justify all the effort for a 3 year plan.

Granted, I realized I love cutting and splitting. Stacking, not so much. But my wife and I blast some tunes and knock it out together. There are much much worse ways you could spend with your bride.

I save about 3 grand a year doing this not including my time. It will not be that much this year. The single digits scare the chit out of me. I have hot water baseboard heating with pipes in uninsulated portions of my house. I just run them in those temps.

Anyway, I enjoy the work. Sorry for the long post. 8.5 beer and trying to finish Arrow season 1.

Cheers everyone.

 

Visiting friends and neighbors whose thermostats are set at 65 degrees is enough motivation for me, a mere scrounger.

My family has had woodstoves since the oil embargo in the 1970's, so it is in my blood now. It pays to have a back-up plan and stick with it.

 

Money in the bank. The insurance of staying warm is nice.