I've lived on and cut on my place for 15 years. Everything I cut is dead standing or needing to go. This place looks much better than it did 15 years ago. If I didn't own a saw there would be dead trees laying everywhere. I would have to put up a free wood sign.
I think I'd own a chainsaw even if I lived in an apartment. As for my place - it wouldn't exist. Couldn't have developed my property or built my house without the use of (several) chain saws.
A D8 dozer cleared the spot for my house, but it left a huge pile of oaks. That pile got me several years ahead on firewood.
We'd all be the guys posting on craigslist... "free firewood-must cut down trees, must remove all debris and sawdust, must be insured, must have own equipment, must be hauled away same day....."
I wouldn't have these piles of cookies, noodles, sawdust, and blocks laying in front of the garage....
Let's, I would have a Pin Oak that blew down In the front yard 15 years ago still there, the half of a soft maple tree and a Cherry tree that blew down during a Memeorial Day storm 5 years (over a full cord of wood in those trees) in the back hard- and a bunch of branches that I would hit with my head every time I mowed. Of course, if I didn't clean up those trees, I would not have so much to mow!
I know my small farm (40 acres) would basically raise only wildlife. It quit being in production sometime in the late 50's so there has been a lot of time for the forest to take it back. Also, our small town (pop. 156) would be up a creek. When storms hit and down trees we are the first responders opening the roads up for fire and power company trucks. We have a large elderly population and we help clean up their damage or take trees off the roof. I did buy my 55 rancher when I lived in an apartment while at college. I had to. I litterally felt naked with out one. Storms, bonfires, civil unrest, zombie apocolypse. You never know...
Interesting you posted this at this time. I was thinking similar thoughts as I walked around the property yesterday, deciding which downed trees to cut for firewood. Quite a bit has come down since last Autumn.
Plus, the college you were attending probably didn't care if you had the 55 in your car while attending classes!
I know we haven't taken any trees on our property (mostly because everything on our 2acres is fully alive and we don't have hardly any anyways) but the local wood dump would have probably close to 14full cord more wood to dispose of if i didn't own chainsaws, and that's just me. My buddy has gotten probably 20full cord as well so far in the last year
I for one would not be at my house.. the quarter mile drive way had 15 trees in or on it after a rare freak tornado. it took town 2 weeks to open other end of road. took farmer 4 hours open road to his house same distance and trees but was a Friday morning and his wife runs a daycare and he wanted to go to dinner so he was motivated! A guy stopped by said for 2500 he would open it take what he wanted leave the rest...side of drive.. I pulled out Bota, and Johnny 5 hours later we were all limbed and blocked and brush on fire, enjoying adult beverages .. my older neighbor stopped by said his big oak in front of house was down same guy told him 1500... I said will be over tomorrow with brother and solve that oak problem for him! Our biggest problem was gas we needed more for saws... firewood was free in area for the taking.. gas problem was soon solved had an old ice maker that would fill a 48 quart cooler in an hour came from some closed restaurant.. Generator ran that water pumps freezer and coffee pot neighbors kept bringing me gas cans and coolers for a week.. . they took ice and water.... sometimes disasters bring the best and worst of people... To this day I got like 10 extra gas cans laying around
Not a tree on my place. Sagebrush yes. Will be taking pics of the National forest the we cut in when the snow finally melts and the roads open back up. Nothing like acres and acres of dead standing beetle killed lodge pole pine to make you wonder why? Oh and this chainsaw thing I'm just starting on that little hoard.
If I did not have a chain saw my place would look boring. Lots of wood stacks around the place and a home for the rabbits.
Yeah, and your neighbors are saying that they had all the ice and water they needed for just the price of a gas can!