I enjoy the entire process of wood heat. From the moment I make the first cut with my saw (my favorite part) to the moment I'm on the couch watching the flames dance and feel that radiant heat filling my home on a cold winter day. I wouldn't have it any other way. I worked like a madman all summer which put me at the 3 year mark. In a big way I have to credit this group for that because you guys kept me motivated, seeing everyone else's progress. So now my scrounges have become smaller, fewer and farther in-between. I don't need to go after mountains of wood every week, which in a sick twisted way I miss LOL. But if it's convenient I grab it (my saw is almost always in the truck). I was heading down a dirt road today and saw a dead Ash down, 10" DBH, hung up and off the ground about a foot and a half so super easy. Bucked it, removed all the loose bark, loaded and off I went. Less than 10 minutes. I really enjoy these small scores; grab and go without breaking a sweat. Also grabbed a couple pieces of Tulip Poplar (one pictured in the lower left). What's everybody's favorite part of the process? Cutting? Burning? Splitting? Selling maybe? Looking at your stacks with a strange satisfaction that only a fellow wood hoarder could fathom?
Just remember, you're going to have empty rack space, in a month or so. Keep scrounging. You need to have "inventory" to refill the stacks. Trust me. Seeing empty racks in January, will start to bother you. It does to me.
I can definitely see your point. So far I moved about a face cord and a half to the house for this season. That little bit of wood displacement in the backyard got to me almost immediately. I need to fill the void, my wood yard abhors a vacuum! Luckily I still have quite a few large oak rounds to split with more on the way soon. Also a decent pile of blue spruce that'll need to get processed this fall. Anything else I grab in the meantime is a bonus.
I like getting a load of nice straight hardwood logs that will be easy to cut and split. I dislike noodling big oak knots, but love the super dense sticks that come from it. I bring home little scrounges from work throughout the year. Quick to load and unload and before you know it there is a big pile of rounds. Making logs, turning logs into rounds and rounds into splits. Dislike stacking, but enjoy strategically placing stacks to block the neighbors views of my house. I have about a week left on a months long project at work. When that’s done, I’ll be using some big chunks of pto to spend time with my saws and splitter.
I like the entire process of making firewood and burning it. While doing the physical work of stacking is probably the worst, admiring the stack when finished is one of my favorite things. Seeing it burn and seeing the gas bill be almost nothing is the most gratifying. Then again, some days I really enjoy running the saw. Splitting can be a bit of work, but I like seeing the end result. Yes, FHC is really great for motivation.
At the risk of thread hijack..... It seems a lot of members dislikes doing what we all like to stand back and admire - stacking. I'm guessing this is because people using hydraulics will split until there's a decent pile if splits, and view that pile as a stacking effort. Splitting by hand, I place the new splits right into my yard cart, until full. Then I move the wood and stack it. For me, doing it this way, puts different muscle groups to work. Instead of overworking splitting muscles, then overworking stacking muscles, I alternate between them. That's how my head processes it, anyways.
I like everything about heating with wood. Just some of the tasks I like more than others. Stacking is my least favorite A year or so back I changed my routine. I used to accumulate a huge pile of rounds, then splitting all of that and generating a huge pile of splits which would then cause a marathon stacking event. Now I bring a trailer load home and then park the splitter next to it and then remove and split from the trailer. As I split, I fill my wheeler then move it to the stack and place the wood. Breaking up the stacking into smaller amounts fits me best. As much as I dislike stacking, It seems to be the task that brings the largest satisfaction when done. There is an almost spiritual side of heating with wood also. The Wif and I will wander out of an evening and just soak in the sight of our beautiful ranks of firewood quietly and patiently awaiting the giving of the trees last great gift of bright light and warmth to us from the woodstove. Then it's final essence will drift away to the heavens as the smallest wisp of smoke.
I find the same. In fact, I don't even fill a cart with splits, I just pick up two at a time, and walk them over to the stack. Gives me a little recovery period.
My favorite part is the scrounging. Getting free wood is a real rush. I never fell trees, but the chunks I scrounge often need cutting. The cutting is somewhat of an ordeal, but feels great having it done, so I guess that's my least favorite part. Splitting by hand on a cold morning is awesome. Even stacking is satisfying, getting it as tight as I can.
I agree, stacking is my least favorite part although it's the most gratifying for me. I try to take my time doing it knowing I'll be looking at the pile for a long time before it'll get moved. Also I try not to let any part of the process get bottlenecked ~ I don't want a lot of unfinished business hanging over my head for weeks or months. If I can cut, split and stack in the same day I will. That's another reason for me to stick to one pickup truckload at a time; it's manageable. Wood heating definitely has a spiritual side for sure. From being out in the fresh air of the woods connecting with nature, through all the manual labor, to enjoying a warm house with your family in the silence of winter. There's a little Zen moment to be had in every step of the way.
I had my grandson load the stove with small chunks this morning. Later we walked out of the house, and I asked him, smell that good smell? That's the wood you put in the stove.
Looks like a go-getter. Excellent action shot. Even the smell of wood smoke is part of the whole experience!
Okay I admit, I'm guilty of REALLY enjoying the scrounging part too Almost everything I brought home this year was already felled or blown over. The one exception was in the spring I took down an apple tree as a favor for a coworker. There's no shortage of decent trees already on the ground (at least in New England) so I don't see much sense in looking for live trees to bring down.
I like to think we're all wired in a similar manner. No matter how full the stacks are, one always thinks about getting more or not driving by rounds with a "free" sign posted next to them.
