So cool to see someone from Alaska! Really looking forward to both stories and pictures. I hope I get get to visit Alaska sometime.
Not a problem , no worries Welcome to da club Michael ,looking forward to your stories and pics . Pics of Hawaii are good too
We had a small vacation home down there for a number of years but sold it to our daughter in law as her kids were both born in the house and she wanted it to be "their's" because of the connection We still have a building lot right behind it in case we want to do something different down the road Well, I do have a few The weird warm dry weather in the area is causing havoc with the wildlife, especially the bears Their normal diet has been radically altered because the berry crops in the area have been so poor Consequently they tend to come down into populated areas and steal pic-a-nic baskets and raid trash, chicken coops, etc The fish and feathers folks are spending a fortune trapping, tagging, and relocating them and in a large percentage of the cases end up having to put them down because they just won't stay away from civilization Yeah, thats what you get for buying a house in July Not to mention the long steep driveway.... Looked good to me I think Alaska is somewhere everyone should who loves the woods and wildlife should see; and the sooner the better Its changing, like everywhere else, and not always for the better Hard to believe an area almost half as big as the continental US with lest than 3/4 of a million people could feel crowded but at times it does Especially in the summer If you don't have toys (boat, plane, 4 wheeler, etc) it is hard to get away from the crowds I lived out in the bush for 8 years prior to coming back in on the road system and lived the real, true Alaskan lifestyle I often feel cooped up even though I live out of town and have the boonies all around
Well, in trade for leaving my saws at home for 3 months I get to sit on our lanai and sip my morning coffee and look out at this... It drives me bonkers not having a saw here There is sooooooo much wood everywhere Enormous old trees that are constantly breaking up in wind storms The guys are out in their surf trunks and flip flops just chugging away Scares the crap out of me Can you say PPE? No? Yikes I look at a tree and half my brain says "damm, thats a beautiful tree" The other half says "damm, I would love to cut that down" I actually find myself staring at a tree and imagining a plan for cutting it down Sorry, rambling on Michael
Welcome to the forum Michael. It sounds like you have a great background and certainly have a good attitude. Sorry about that no sunshine in winter though. lol Hope the bears don't get too fiesty!
Welcome to the family, 3browns! Beautiful home you got there, sounds like you're gonna be another perfect spoke in the wheel here! Glad to have you join up with us. Now, just get the Mrs. convinced to succumb to the wood heat lifestyle and you'll be set!
Yeah, the creamsicle saw was my step up from a Poulan consumer saw Except for putting on a cheap Chinese carb to replace the Zama it has actually been a decent saw and is fine for limbing and trimming I have moved on (at least in my mind) to better saws; however, my son has gone over to the dark side To make matters worse he took my granddaughter with him Time for an intervention....
Sorry, some top shelf coffee is about the best I can do Convincing her is going to be an uphill battle We lived in the White Mountains of Arizona for a few years back in the early 90s and heated exclusively with wood All she remembers is soot, ashes, and a lot of work and there are no kids around anymore to haul, stack, and keep a wood box filled She also just finished tearing out the old faux river rock surround for the fireplace and replaced it with an entire floor to ceiling slab and hearth of beautiful EXPENSIVE marble It's called "old trees" for obvious reasons and the pics don't do it justice She is soooo hesitant to burn wood for fear of messing it up Tried to explain that a sealed insert won't have the issues she is worrying about Heavy sigh
Absolutely beautiful ! Now , get that silly gas log out of there and put something in that makes heat... oh yea...we're here to help...help feed your addiction
Just like HDRock says you dont have those kinds of issues. Just the other day I was speaking with someone and told them I heat my house with wood and they were asking about the smell of smoke in the house etc.... I told them many people walk into my house and cant smell a thing since I rarely spill smoke in the house. Of course we all have the odd whoops especially in the shoulder seasons but those are often few and far between. Your wife can expect clean air in your home and a warm heat that doesnt support the heating company. She is right that it is a lot of work but Im sure youre up to that. The ashes and soot are really up to you. If she has issues with a messy hearth then Im sure you'll be very careful to keep it nice and clean. I also use a wood carrying bag so that Im not dropping bark and the like all over the floor on the way to the stove. Keep working on her and she will come around.
Thanks for all the ammo guys I have all summer to work on her and hopefully seeing how effective a stove can be heating my son's new yurt will help her come around Michael