I am not allowed to stack firewood within 500’ of the house according to the Wife Owners Association (WOA), but have another 1,500’ or so available on my gravel driveway. Aim to fill it in the next year or two
Firewood delivery tomorrow from Hell. I added on diesel and driving time to both deliveries. Always wonder why I am getting customers from 100+ miles away. Driving time subtracts from my producing time.
I advertise "build your own face cord." My second delivery on this route wants a 1/4 each of cherry, hickory, maple, and white oak. Not a big deal, takes about a minute to back my truck or trailer to each ready row stack.
Orders are coming in like crazy. Since I am a one man band, keeping track while producing is a chore. I always have my phone in my front pocket and a notebook at the ready. Hard to feel the phone vibrate when cutting or splitting. Answering immediately brings home the Benjamin’s
Banked $610 on two face cords on my long distance deliveries. Arrived back home in time to go purchase a load and get it split and stacked. Have four deliveries to make so far this weekend. I definitely feel my age getting out of my truck after driving many hours. I feel fine when CS&S though. My second delivery of the day was to a dude who purchased an awesome smoker. He ordered 1/4 rick each of white oak, hickory, sugar maple and cherry. He was like a kid in a candy store with all the good stuff I brought him. Like it when the customer is very pleased with their purchase. My first delivery was to a customer that purchased a face cord almost two years ago. He only burns in his Solo stove. He had a little of my white oak remaining. Was very impressed how well the white oak stood up to the elements over that time. Looked almost freshly split at about three years old. Yes, I always deliver a little extra. Gave him some awesome cherry pieces off to the left.
So this firewood rack was on a deck about 10’ off the ground. Noticed the compost boards dipping when I was almost done stacking. Probably 1,500lbs on the rack and sides with the 50 CUFT I delivered. I’ll try to forget about what I saw.
A multi Emmy award winning song writer is a regular customer and he tips me with awesome bottles of bourbon and whiskeys. Have a delivery scheduled to him Sunday. Shouldn’t get use to his generosity, but my anticipation is sky high.
He earned his fist full of big bills rapping and me from wheelbarrowing lots of white oak. Maybe I should take up rapping and but my saw away?
So he made his spittin’ lyrics while you made yours splittin’ a few ricks? Ok, ok….I won’t quit my day job
Another great firewood delivery day. Delivered three separate face cords for $275 each. However, banked a trifecta of $300 each with tips. Thought about raising my price to $280 since diesel prices are up to $4.50 a gallon in my area. Nine out of my last ten deliveries have paid me $300, and the other only tipped me $10. So thinking my price is in a sweet spot for tips and no need to raise them. I had three customers contact me while delivering today and my two face cord restaurant will need two ricks this week also. I told my wife no deliveries Monday. So I put them all off until Tuesday and no complaints. Added another two feet to my hickory ready row after this picture. Have about 60 face cords of seasoned (below 20%) hickory ready to deliver.
One of my deliveries tomorrow wants two face cords, one for burning and one for looking pretty. No problem. I'll set another pallet along side where I will be loading later today and put the un-pretty stuff on it. Actually, I think all my firewood is looking pretty good since I have been mainly cutting trunk wood the last 18 months and concentrating on 16" exact cuts. However, my purchased firewood ranges from 15-17". Top covering it keeps it looking good also. There was an existing home on this lot, but demolished to make room for this little shack. This is going on everywhere around Nashville. I'll look at the place I am delivering to on Google maps, and then I show up there will be one of these things instead of an older home.
Oh, my song writer customer said, "I think I tipped you with whiskey last time. But here is $50 to buy your own." And I will.
Hit it hard today. Bought, split, and stacked a cord. Loaded a cord for tomorrow's deliveries and moved about 2/3s of a cord into the ready row. My logger has about a cord of white oak barrel cut offs in a pile for me to cut. So will hit that Wednesday. I feel the need to cut at least twice a week to keep my saws and body parts lubricated. Tomorrow will bring home $825 plus tips. Had a customer contact me late last night and wanted two face cords dumped with a discount. Told him I don't dump. Haven't heard back from him. I am a full service firewood dude. No discounts. Guess I am getting a little cocky.