My neighbor, he's in his upper 80's, wants only Oak to burn. Even with Locust, Hedge, and Mulberry in his stash. I was over loading his mud room with the last bit of his skid at the house. Went down to his piles to load up some good Mulberry (too much ash) and Locust ( just didn't like it). Then I had to talk him out of the pile of Oak that we had just split two months ago. I ended up loading another skid for this week, by poking around a couple piles. He only got one major pile of dried oak left for this year. If he keeps this up, he'll be burning NG before spring time. Cause last year he tried to burn some "green" oak (25-30%) and just couldnt get it to burn nicely. I ended up taking my moisture meter and explaining him that it was too wet. I'm kinda of at wits with this. Since I pretty much have supplied him and cut and split for him the last 3 years. But I've gotten no big Oak score the last two years, just small ones. I guess he'll be have to figure out what he'll be doing in the next years as far as supply. I'll continue to cut and split if he needs, but my supply line has been in a drought in that tree. He's got about 2 cords of Mulberry and 2 cords of hedge/locust thats ready. Just kinda of frustrated...
He needs to get over it. Locust and hedge are primo...especially hedge. People that age are about as set in your ways as you can be.
Wow. Havent burned any hedge except for a few small sticks some years back..Closest any is around me is about 25 miles to my west.Wouldn't turn it down nor Mulberry either,its one of my favs. Approx. 75% of what I cut/burn every year is dead Oak.Of that,70% is Red/Black.Remaining is White & Bur Oak.Other 25% of yearly stash is a mix of Mulberry,Silver Maple,Honey Locust,White Elm,few other things.The only wood I wont cut or bring home is Ailanthus/Tree Of Hell.Nasty stinking stuff that although it dries fast & splits easily - leaves more ash than anything I've ever burned....
We've got quite abit of Oak around here. But very few opportunities for free Oak. He may just have open up the wallet for a load for next year, if he wants oak.
Yep, you are so...so right about that. But I hate to see him waste away the other cords in his shop furnace... but its his. However, when its gone its gone....Kinda of sad, since it is such good wood.
Is he buying the wood or are you donating it? He needs to be less picky or buy elsewhere. I'm an Oak man myself, but I have that luxury. Odd species I donate to a friends shop that I use and hangout in.
I'll take dang near anything cut and split! Not a peep outta me 'cept a thank you followed by a firm handshake.
I've donated it all so far. But next year will be different, unless something changes. I've ran out of my Oak sources, I gotten a little bit of this and that from my sources. It just kinda of irritates me that he has about average wood that's dry but he doesn't want to since it's not Oak. Each to there own I guess.
That is the way I was raised. Be it food, clothing, the the chance to earn a few cents. Darn greatful for anything I had. My parents were a product of the depression. Everything had value.
Especially if he's incapable of gathering the wood himself...then he should be really thankful you help him
Well, he's my neighbor and he's in his upper 80's and a good friend. Can't really get away from that particular situation, except not to supply him with wood. I guess the mentality / stigma that Oak has, has been in instilled in him. There are many disadvantages to Oak too, like drying time. In which he found out last year. However in his eyes I guess it's advantages outweigh any of its competitors. The main thing that I do it for is that he enjoys wood burning.
Set in his ways, yeah I hear that. Kinda wonder if you printed out a species to BTU chart maybe would peak his interest. Or maybe not. Very good of ya to have been helping him out those years, at any rate.
Good on ya for everything you're doing for this old timer. I hope he's the kind of man that at least appreciates the work you do for him. Having just been through multiple years of elder care for my Dad, I can totally understand the kinds of frustrations you have. He prolly shouldn't be on his own. I can't help wondering how much effort his own family makes for his well being, if he has family... But yeah.. he prolly got told Oak is the bees knees in 1944, and just never forgot it. I'd tell him straight out, just like you told us, the pickin's are thin and he'll need to make due with that damm Mulberry, Locust and Hedge. But God bless ya for the work you do.
Brought this back: Well I just found out this is his last year, probably burning wood. Which is very sad, but he's got nobody to process it but me. And he doesnt want to pay for wood that is processed and dropped off. I don't have the time for both his and mine. He goes through about 10 to 12 cords a year. But he looks forward to it each year. He asked me if I wanted his uncut wood. I said yes... So I'm busting my butt to get mine all processed to make room for it. His underlying health issues is putting a halt to his burning. Sad, but a fact of life I guess. He just can't do it no more at least he's able to get around at about 90.
See if you can get a church or charity to donate css wood for him if nothing else. You've more than done your part to help.
Yea, he's got a big fireplace with a blower (24" to 30" long splits). I tried to get him to move to a newer stove a couple of years ago to save on the wood and would probably do a better job of heating his house. Plus the smaller splits would help him be able to move wood around easier.