Buddy of mine had some Ash at his house that he needed help cutting up and removing. He burns as well, but he gave me half of what we cut. Pretty nice haul for ~3 hours work.
My buddy has lots more of recently fallen/dead trees on his 10 acres, so I think I am going to be able to get most of my wood for next winter this spring. I'd like to get a full 5 cords if I can.
Ash is one of my favorites. Decent BTUs, easy splitting, tons available here due to EAB, burns clean, and no bugs. It's been a staple in our stove for years. Bummed that we'll run out of it someday since even the standing dead EAB trees are starting to go punky here. In the next couple years I will try to get as much of it CSS and under cover as possible.
Get all you can while you can as the ash does lose a lot after it dies. We have lots of trees that we simply can't get or won't get because they've gone too far south on us. But we've been cutting ash for 18 years now as that is when we got hit with the EAB. I saw 2 more trees fall over a couple days ago. Probably are not worth getting and for sure I can't get to them until maybe next winter.
I know what you mean, I got back across the creek Sunday while I was out working and everytime I get back there I see more down. Just across the creek was a 40" Ash that had snapped off at the base during the last wind. Probably enough good wood in that one tree to heat our place for a month or two. I don't have a good way of getting wood from back there yet, especially big stuff. I can get a single carry all at a time, but skidding big stuff out isn't happening with what I have now. Cutting and moving with the carry all is an extra step when getting wood from back there. I have a guy coming over to look at working on the crossing. It's gonna need about a hundred ton of various sized stone and a couple days of work with equipment way bigger than I have. Once that's in I'll have access to about 35 more acres of WHOOOOOOOOD!
Some really nice wood! Good deal on getting half. Hit or miss with the quality of it around here as EAB widespread. I have to ask? What is the wood "cube" in some of the pics? jjspierx ?
Not entirely sure buZZsaw BRAD . I didn't look in that one specifically, but I suspect it is a cold smoker, as he does that sort of thing out there. The quality of the Ash is really good. Not punked out or anything, and nice solid clean rounds, not many knots. And pretty dry as well already, so will definitely be ready to burn late next fall.
If I remember right (but my memory banks sometimes get crossed up) didn't you have some kind of a foot or ankle problem? If so, that can certainly compound things.
Yea... I'm the one with the knee brace at Walt's last fall. Flip flops carrying stuff to the basement and a flop on the steps with 3 of the 4 quad tendons severed. I had surgery a couple weeks before Walt's GTG. All better now and mostly back up to speed, but still weak compared to my other leg. I've been working out in the woods as much as possible and doing therapy. Doc says should get full use back but Arthiritis is more the issue these days anyway. Hope your issues go well. Looking forward to cutting some wood in MI. Keep cutting Ash is the best therapy anyway...
Depending what kind, and how tolerant your system is of spicy foods, you might give turmeric a try. Does wonders for me on a bad big toe joint, and it has other beneficial effects. It's an anti-inflammatory, anti-oxidant and immune system builder..something that won't hurt us any with the virus in da 'hood.
