Slow but good. One big project is done. I'm doing some outside woods clean up and then I'll be starting another soon. I have to file a building permit once plans are completed. I'm enjoying the break in the meantime.
I really had to get a splitter as the hand splitting was aggravating my tendonitis. I can pretty much split any type of wood with hydro now. It is such a time and labor saver for me and less energy used for more production.
I'm pretty far ahead on firewood, so I don't need to go full throttle like last summer. That said, I'm going to be giving some to a deserving friend/coworker of my husband. That will make some room, and if I get a big score this summer, I might need a splitter. But for now, I have a trickle coming in, just enough to keep me occupied with hand splitting.
Here is a quick update. Racks 5 and 6 got built. A lot of red pine and maple. I got a score of red oak from my brothers neighbor. They were bucked short, but I took most of them. I raked up all the splitter trash when I finished.I have room for a few more stacks at the wasteland, but I think I'll call it. I'm sure I will take more wood if any becomes available, but the rounds pile start bothering me when they get bigger. Good size red pine round. From the splitter, right into the yard trailer to the stacks. Pretty efficient way of getting it done.
I caved in and made rack seven. I could not get solid t-posts locally in the past few weeks, but a delivery was made to the local TSC. Mostly oak and some maple. The pile of rounds is now cleaned up. I just need under a half cord to fill this one up. Found this little group in a hollow oak limb.
I did quick work of a small roadside maple scrounge this afternoon. A few were bucked odd sizes, the ms170 took care of it. This rounded out cord 7. Beautiful afternoon with a cool wind setting in to make a brisk weekend.
I spent about two hours today cleaning up one of the spruces that went down a few weeks ago. It was loaded with bittersweet vines and a lot of work to just get in to cut it up. Pulling the tangle apart with the tractor and strap. I have a nice burn pile for the late winter shaping up. Worked enough to get the tractor through. To the right of the path is another downed spruce tangle. Behind that is another downed spruce. Two cart loads of nice rounds. Over to the processing pile. This is all spruce and hemlock. I may have to start cord 8 and 9 racks behind the barn. I'll process what ever falls. Spruce, pine and hemlock all have a place. If I can get time to build a sugar house, I'll use more of the smaller branches. It was nice to be out on bare ground in December.
Nice work, sir. Those tangles can be a pain to deal with. I have a big oak down close to the woodyard that is wrapped up in wisteria. Hope to get it out soon
Those vines are my roadside nemesis. Some scores can be so entangled that it seems i spend more time hacking my way through them than cutting up the wood. The dry ground is nice. I was out in it again today.
