I’m down to 2 rows in the wood shed. With sub zero temps I’m going to have to go to the stacks one more time before spring. Mimi says “just get er done”
I brought a cart load of BL and a cart load of miscellaneous hardwood down on Saturday. Usually that would last 10-12 days. Will need to go to stacks again on saturday. Between cold temps, and a cat going out, burn through it this week. New cat suppose to arrive Friday.
I hauled some up, today. I had some Pin Oak out back in a stack, that was seasoned a lot better then the Black Locust I still had on the porch. So, I went and got some of it, to keep from pulling so much Black Locust but I am still burning some if it, kind of a mix, that and some Cherry, and a little Sassafras, but I don't know about the Sassafras, it should probably be seasoned more, but it burns pretty good. The Sassafras was cut and split only last November, early in the month. But it seems very light and dry, but I don't have a meter, to check it by. It was on top of my Pin Oak, so it was natural to burn some if it, too, although I did relocate some if it, to keep from burning it all right now.
We'll put in another two loads of beech and sugar maple tomorrow. We still have just under four face cord of shoulder season firewood for this heating season left but I'll have to check the hardwood to see what's left. I did cover an extra four face cord in the fall just incase we needed more hardwood.
Some how, I’m always into junk when it’s cold and good stuff when it’s warm. But not this winter. It’s cold and I’m into hedge and hickory in my stacks. . Doesn’t get any better tha that. Chief I
Yea - comes with the territory. I can store about a face cord in the stove room - so I have to make regular expeditions out to the shed for refills. Keeps me busy. And no matter how close I inspect prior to bringing the wood in, more than likely I’ll have a hibernating queen yellow jacket (or two) stowed away somewheres in the load, only to wake up & start buzzin around . Just more to keep me busy.
I was getting low on dry stuff, but I found some big Norwegian maple uglies at the bottom of a stack of white oak that was more or less ready to go. These mostly required noodling (last year) to get them to barely fit in the stove. I put em in and try to start a fire on top. Too risky to put em in at full blaze as sometimes they don’t fit.
I'm gonna need to restock the wood bin in the next few days. Usually, a half cord lasts me 4 weeks, but Ive churned through it in about 3 weeks with this cold.
It is nice to have some larger rounds for such the cold snap I've been in for the last week. Makes the trips to the OWB just stay on the normal schedule.
Are prices going up for new cats? Do you take them to a recycler? There's a rash of catalytic converter thefts from vehicles right now, because the metal prices are so high. Thieves Nationwide Are Slithering Under Cars, Swiping Catalytic Converters
It was the same price when I looked in fall out of curiosity. Ill keep the old cat combustor, give it a bath and save for an emergency backup. Kids and wife home today. Means a few more splits be used than normal day.
I have about three days of wood left in the wood shed now. I have to haul some in this weekend, fortunately I have another 4 cords ready to go, mostly oak and soft maple. Couple years back I had to buy wood, I had nothing at all that wasn't a standing tree or inaccessible due to snow on the ground. I hope to shut off the OWB right around the middle of April. So I'll probably need 3 of those 4 cords if the cold weather persists.
To help getting through this cold spell I broke into a stack of white oak. It helps during the nights but daytime I just burn the lesser stuff and stuff with knots, etc.
The last two weeks or so its been cold and snowy. I've been burning exclusively hardwood chunks, shorts, and cookies. Feels good getting rid of it. I had two full 330 gallon IBC totes of that kind of wood to start. Tough to "stack" in the basement. Will probably bring in a cord of so of regular hardwood this long weekend.
