Mine I get to spend time in the woods with my coffee cup and a chainsaw and it keeps the wife warm and happy! I love nature it's much better than TV! Your reason?
$ was the reason I started. But what I really enjoy is picking gems out of the tree dump, it's like a treasure hunt.
It's a form of release. I take my time, enjoy the nature. Enjoy the whole process. I forget about everything else and just enjoy life for a while.
Keeps me in shape when regular construction job gets slow.Better than any gym membership,been cutting for 33 years,since I was 17.Havent set foot in any gym since I was 16. Plus I just like being outdoors in the woods,whether its 90 & sunny or 10 degrees & snow.Even just for a nice relaxing walk.
It is a hobby for the most part - don't have to do it but I enjoy the process and the additional warmth it adds to a portion of our house. Cutting, splitting, and even stacking I usually do by myself and it is good "me" time. I like the smells, sights, sounds, and the simplicity of it all. Probably just an ideal romantic aspect but i like being able to do things with my own hands. I sometimes think i was born many decades too late when heating with wood and other simple activities were part of daily life.
I like getting away from people. I'm out there alone, I get to plan my work and work my plan with out a hundred questions I don't really care about. It's a good stress release and I think that is good therapy for my RA. Physically it is a good work out. I love being in nature, I like the feeling of accomplishing something and seeing what I've done. I do love sitting in front the fire on these cold days, knowing my furnace wants to turn on and as soon as it does it has to shut off because the heat from the fire keeping most the house so warm. I like having gas bills so small in the winter I don't even notice them while others complain about how huge their's are. But maybe the biggest reason I like doing this is that I like being self reliant when I can.
I kind of fell into it when we moved here. Stove was here, so was the wood.....some c/s/s, some not. Haven't stopped since.
My utility bill would be ridiculous if I had to keep the house at the temps we do with using gas. Our house is usually in the high 70s lower 80s. My wife and daughter are always cold so wood just feels right. I work in IT and handling firewood is the farthest thing from what I do during the week so it takes me away from that. I can spend the entire saturday morning processing wood, its now become part of our lives.
I agree with the getting out in the woods alone. I have to admit. I am somewhat of an introvert. I need some down time everyday. Time I can work alone. Love it. I also have a hard time sitting still for too long. That is why I stopped hunting. I enjoy hunting, the time alone in the woods and the peace and quiet. But I the last few years I was hunting I kept saying to myself, "What else could I be getting done right now instead of sitting here waiting for a fricking dear to walk by?" LOFL. So I enjoy getting things done. Seeing that immediate progress in front of your eyes. That is the feeling I enjoy. That is what I like about cutting firewood. And the saving of money. And the smell of wood. And the gratitude of not giving that money to someone else when I can use it for things on my family. And the .............
I would much rather be outside doing about anything than sitting inside. Firewood is hard work but it's just me and the saw, no stress,no boss, no people problems. I pretty much quit watching tv 10 years ago because most that's on, especially primetime is trash.
It is a hobby, like tang said. It's a way to channel you energy, relieve stress, keep active, and connect with the old ways. It also lets us express our masculinity, a trait which seems to be looked down upon more by the hour.
Are you sure that's politically correct to say Jack ? You may offend someone. Oh wait that's right we don't talk politics on here sorry. Shout it out brother.
Yeah, I'm deeper than you guys know. I could write an essay on how I feel about wood hoarding. Maybe I will do a video.
Being in the woods and away from the rat race for a time helps restore what little sanity I have left. The exercise, fresh air, using a chainsaw and immediate gratification of seeing the results (stacks!) is icing on the cake.
I like doing it because I can. I get satisifaction out of turning a load of logs into firewood. No fianacial reason for doing it here.
