Good to hear from you, shipmate! I also had to "adjust" my work practices. Something is better than nothing. Great pics!!!
EODMSgt I know how fast I been member here 10 years ish.. I could walk drive standard cars do anything I wanted; yeah some pain; but life is pain.. Broke my neck was losing ability to walk Backwoods Savage and others saw me walk and fall at Woodstock open house in West Lebanon NH.. New Year’s Eve 2021 had surgery Dartmouth there’s pic of neck after surgery C-2 to T-1 disks now I am on crutches, and need hand controls to keep a valid drivers license I only run saw if I have too.. why I bought brother 400. His legs balance far better Keep up the fight, it’s more than 1 round, not a hill IF your a climber.. I get frustrated too ask my beautiful bride
Much appreciated. Reading your posts, and seeing the amount of wood you process, I wish I had half your energy! Many thanks! Sometimes my 'adjustment' is just looking at the unprocessed wood and trying to figure out a more productive way to do things. Sometimes it works, and sometimes it doesn't. Ouch, that looks like it hurt, and sorry to hear about your health issues, I would never have realized it based on your posts. I realize we all have our life issues, and I'm not here to whine or complain about mine, and I hope it didn't come out that way. The IED blast in '92 that resulted in loosing the use of both legs until back surgeries was most likely what started my declining health, and then the car bombing in 2005 was the icing on the cake. Add in 23 years in the military, age, countless miles on old Harleys, and just living a life where I pushed my body and this is the result. Glad to still be among the walking (most of the time) and able to enjoy the things I can still do.
EODMSgt you are not a complainer, I wasn’t trying to say that at all! Just trying to say you’re not alone. It’s frustrating when your body won’t do what you tell it too. I’m glad you’re back.. If ya need a PM send it. My opinion on complaining don’t; cause 1/2 people don’t care about your problems other 1/2 think you deserve it anyway.. well walking is sort of challenge I can relate too as most who met me will tell you it’s funny as hell to see me try it.. Dear friend sent me a plaque on my desk if you get down and can’t laugh at yourself call me.. I can at you!
Welcome back EODMSgt Slow and steady surely wins the race. 11 cords is nothing to sneeze at. Chipping away here and there will do. I’d rather not have a staging area that is completely stuffed to the gills so it isn’t staring at me. That’s how I changed my strategy a little, to prevent the urge to spend all day splitting and stacking. I pay for it if I do.
Great to see you back EODMSgt Stay after it- you’re doing great, sir! I myself have been dealing with a wrecked lower back for such a long time I’ve given up on workplace insurance ever paying for something that works. But, as many have said, a little bit adds up over time, and I have to accept my physical limitations too.
Glad to see you back EODMSgt ! Thank you for your service as always! It sucks about the pups, but I see you got a new companion out of it. To me, losing dogs is the worst. It hits harder than people, as much as I hate to say it. If you do a GTG, depending on when, I would be all in on that. It's been since 2019 that I've been back in NH, Vermont, and Maine.
She is a big help, but of we had gone through what he has, I probably wouldn't even own a saw. As Dave said, "Thanks for your service and sacrifice, sir" EODMSgt
That's a perfect quote. I don't think many of us in my particular field expected to live out of our 20s or 30s so we definitely attacked life with gusto. That's a good point. I used to scrounge as much as I could in the first quarter of the year and then spend the rest of the time processing it. Now, I can't scrounge much but I have so many trees to process from my own property. However, I am tied up by what is still in the staging area (two standing dead need to be dropped right into the staging area). My goal is to do as you said, and once my staging area is finally clear of the old rounds/logs, to only bring in a bit at a time, process it, and then rinse and repeat. Of course I've been saying that for over a year... Thanks! I missed this place. Great bunch of people. Def sorry to hear about your back; back injuries make everything difficult. Yeah, that mental adjustment that one must accept physical limitations can be tough. The mind still thinks it can do what we did in our twenties but the body is a harsh reality check. Thanks! And I agree. I've been to so many funerals due to the war that I think I've become a bit desensitized when people pass away (not ideal but it's reality). Losing the dogs though were an absolute gut punch. Noy sure if a GTG will actually happen, but it is something to consider. Would definitely put out feelers long in advance. If anything, it would give people the chance to visit the White Mountains. Thanks! Not much swinging going on anymore; broke down a bought a splitter with a hydraulic log lift. Thanks! Unfortunately, not much of a pool to chose from out here in the boonies. Glad that worked for you! Second wife actually sent me divorce papers when I was recovering in the Naval hospital after getting medevaced out of Iraq. Guess she wasn't happy she wasn't going to get the life insurance policy.
Thank you. On a different note, I have watched your processing setup over the years and how you use the ramp to load your splitter. I've used that method from time to time and have also used the tractor to load the splitter. Lately neither is really an option, so I broke down and picked up a (lower tier) splitter with a hydraulic lift. I have a tough time using a splitter in the upright position and hate noodling rounds, so this seemed like the simplest option to aid in splitting. I don't need a 15K splitter so the box-store option will work for me. And I seldom have to deal with a large quantity of oversized rounds like you do, but do have a pile of 36" red oak rounds that I have been putting off splitting for around 4-5 years. I will end up doing those with the beam splitter in the upright position. Trying to be more efficient with the limitations but still get the job done.
None of us getting younger, but keep swinging means make as much firewood as you can while you can. I’ve been shortening my hours doing it, and no longer swing overhead stuff which started to bother my shoulder. The log lift on my splitter extended my career for sure. I think Robert Frost was thinking along the same lines in one of his poems when he said, “miles to go before I sleep”
Hey that’s the second time you mentioned the splitter! I mean we are all glad your back and respect your service Msgt BUT rules here about pictures and rules Cmon man
I missed your posts. Glad you're back at it. Im on the same plan, do a little at a time. It adds up. As hoarders, we get a little nervous if there's any empty spots and the sheds aren't stuffed to the max. We feel it all needs to be done yesterday! So its hard to just do small steps. Time tries to beat us all down and in the end will win, but until it does all one can do is keep picking yourself up and give father time the high sign.
I'm actually still waiting on delivery of the splitter, which is why there are a lot of larger diameter rounds still waiting to be processed. I tried using the tractor, as I have in the past, to load my old Troy-Bilt splitter, but for the last couple months I can barely get in and out of the tractor, and using the foot controls is not easy. I considered just adding a log lift to my Troy-Bilt (I know Rugged Made makes an add-on kit), but just went with this instead. I looked at a lot of options for splitters, but the hydraulic lift was the main priority. There are more expensive splitters, and splitters with a faster cycle time, but after reading all the reviews and talking to a couple people that had this model, it seemed like the best (and most reasonably priced) option. The cycle time is pretty much on par with my old Troy-Bilt, and these days, I'm not in any hurry. I looked at one splitter with a 4.2 second cycle time and I'd probably just hurt myself with that (plus no log lift). It will still be nice to have the smaller Troy-Bilt so that (if the health ever improves) I can tow the smaller splitter into the woods with me. I like the fact that this also has the hydraulic adjustable 4 & 6-way blades.
