We've been hammering away endlessly, can't keep up with all the stuff going on. I've just about completely refilled what I used last burning season (5.5 cord) exclusively with black locust, white and red oak. Not to mention processing around 1.5 cord of rock solid ash from a huge standing dead we removed from a local trailer park. It was.dead for many years but not one ounce of punk or rot inside. That entire tree was processed into 2x2 and 3x3 splits for use in the stone oven. We have two more big red oaks to take down that will finish filling my stacks up, the rest I'll probably give to blacksmith for his stacks as hes been busy with things at home and hasn't cut much with us this year. So between hoarding wood, work, chores (and a tiny bit of relaxation), we've been plugging away. I hope all of you are having a safe, productive summer with your loved ones so far and I'm slowly looking forward to the cooler fall weather, shoulder season, and walt 's GTG! Some pics out of MANY this summer....enjoy.... Bucking up that big aah tree.... One of the piles of splits from that ash tree.... All this ash will be fodder for the pizza oven over the remainder of summer, fall and winter.... Reloading the stacks with locust and white oak.... I can't tell you how great of an investment that little Mustang skidsteer was. I got it for next to nothing, repaired it fairly cheaply, and it has been a major back-saver ever since. We use it constantly for all kinds of work around the house and jobsite....
A nice load of black locust from a removal we did last week on a very risky tree.. Two of these poles will become posts for a project at the pizza oven....stay tuned for that! Nice load of standing dead red oak from another very risky tree we just took down on Sunday... Again, that little Mustang made quick work of loading all those big billets easily. Red oak A big sugar maple we took down last Saturday, if you look close you can see me dangling from the tree. I'm hoping there's some tiger stripe in that maple log, if so. It'll get milled.... That sugar maple log is around 40' to the first branch and around 28" DBH.
Also started stone veneering the back wall of our house, it's well underway and long overdue.....all of the stone is from the mountains around the house, same stuff we used on the fireplace, woodstove, garage, porch, pizza oven and inside our house. I do it in small batches every other evening or so (around 25-35 stones per evening), hoping to have this all done and our replacement window and basement door installed by the middle of August. I'm gonna forge custom strap hinges for the solid oak door, I'll do a thread on that.....
And we've gotta have some R&R in there somewhere, wifey and I along with many of our friends have been enjoying some summer concerts and festivities whenever we get a chance......she's too pretty not to take out and have some fun!! Summer concert shenanigans! Several evenings entertaining around the pizza oven.....we've made A LOT of pizzas!! More summer.comcert shenanigans! A much-needed trip to Emerald Isle......thats my girls' happy place!
It's getting there buddy. I appreciate the compliment! Hope you and your family have been well brother
Not been a good Summer for outside work but you're getting it done. The cribbed end in pic #5 are the nicest I've ever seen. Love the stone veneer. Kinda like a big jigsaw puzzle. Looks like fun. Done a couple outdoor concerts ourselves.
Scotty, I get tired just looking at your posts! ! Great stuff Buddy!!! Beach is nice/beautiful and wonderful Pictures of everything.
You definitely have been busy. Oh how I wish I still had the energy to do those things! That ash was huge but looks like you will put it to good use for making more pizza. Btw, Sue is still amazed and still says your pizza was the very best she has ever had! Methinks she wants to come back for seconds. Keep on cutting and improving. Never stop enjoying life with your wife and family.
Great pictures, my friend. Nice tree work, that stone work is amazing. Glad ya'll found time for a little R&R, much needed for the spirit and soul. GOD BLESS you, brother
I'm very thankful to have had you and Sue here to enjoy it and you both are welcome here anytime! Hope to see you soon! You going to Walts?
Thank you my friend, we miss you and Carol! Hope to see you both soon! Can you make it to Walts GTG in October? God Bless you and your family as well!
It certainly has been a hot one, but the work is piled up.....I'll be busy into the foreseeable future.....thank you for the compliments brother! I know you're a busy man as well!
X2! Good to see ya pop up again! Dad has a lil Bobcat that size...handier than a shirt pocket...I'm actually using it right now to haul fill into my garage addition.
I'm usually snooping around here every day, don't always have time to comment tho. Hope you and the family are well brother! Missed ya at the GTG this year.