Does life get any better than this?

[avalancher]

I was sitting here at my workbench, sharpening up my chains getting ready to head out to a new cutting area this morning. the woodstove is pumping out the heat from last years woodpile, my faithful labrador asleep on her piece of carpet, and I really began to wonder. Does life get any better than this?
A new place to cut, been told there are piles of oak to be taken, the owner of the sawmill will be glad for someone to haul off the large pile of culls.Just imagining what I will find when I get there.
My chains are razor sharp, fuel and air filters have been checked, and the saws are ready to go. The morning is brisk, in the low 30s this morning.I have the day off away from the phone ringing off the hook.
Not often a romantic, but does life ever bring any more satisfaction than when you are sinking your bar into wood, heating your home with the results of your effort, and the tired shoulders that you have at the end of the day?
Where else can you find the enjoyment?
I know that I havent found it anywhere else.
But life as I know it, right here in this cozy little workshop, preparing for a day of cutting, doesnt get any better.
Life is good.

 

[Zodiac45]

Good on Ya Avalancher! I know that feeling. Smell of woodsmoke in the air on a frosty morning. It's the best time of the year for cutting wood IMO.

 

[cjk]

AHHHHH the smell of 2 stroke in the morning.

 

[Wood Doctor]

Terrific Post!

That's how I stop and smell the roses. Slab oak makes marvelous firewood. Should be great for next year.

Looks like the Avalanche the Ant is out there making mince meat out of grasshoppers.

 

[saginaw22]

Some times life is just so Blissful


:chainsawguy:

 

[MATTYB11]

Nice post. I think alot people (myself included) usually only stop going through the daily motions of life to complain when thing are going badly. I think it is important to stop and appreciate life when things are going well. Good for you.

 

[thombat4]

A new place to cut, been told there are piles of oak to be taken, the owner of the sawmill will be glad for someone to haul off the large pile of culls.Just imagining what I will find when I get there.
I have the day off away from the phone ringing off the hook.
Not often a romantic, but does life ever bring any more satisfaction than when you are sinking your bar into wood, heating your home with the results of your effort, and the tired shoulders that you have at the end of the day?

Let us know what kinda score you make on this one...should turn out a whole lot better than your craigslist ventures I would think. Isn't it great to have a day off work so you can do what you really enjoy doing

 

[avalancher]

That's how I stop and smell the roses. Slab oak makes marvelous firewood. Should be great for next year.

Looks like the Avalanche the Ant is out there making mince meat out of grasshoppers.

Nope, no slab wood at this mill, they chip all their slabs.
However,they did have tons of the mill ends, the big chunks of logs lopped off before it goes through the mill. I dragged home two loads today, both loads as much as my poor old trailer will handle, not to mention what my truck will pull. Out of the whole deal, I got only two pieces of poplar in the loads, the rest was all red and white oak.
And the best part, I sat on my butt and watched them load for me! The loader was something else, never have I seen a guy that knew his machine like this guy did. Not a wasted motion, it looked like just an extension of his arm.When he set the huge pieces in my trailer it was like dropping a feather in there.No sudden drops to shake the trailer to bits like I have had done before. I was in and out of there in 30 minutes.
Now if I could just get that guy to follow me out in the woods once in awhile...

 

[thombat4]

Good deal! Sounds like you really made out on this one. You think this will turn out to be a regular supplier for you? If so that would be great.

 

[avalancher]

Good deal! Sounds like you really made out on this one. You think this will turn out to be a regular supplier for you? If so that would be great.

I doubt it, at least in any quantity. I didnt ask anyone, but all these chunks were old, been sitting there for some time.In fact, a great deal of them were so dry, they are more than fit to burn this year. most of the chunks were just perfect to lop in half to give two pieces of 16 inch firewood rounds.
Didnt see any fresh cut, but maybe they have another pile around somewhere.There is probably another 4 good loads left there for me, and after I haul all that away I will ask if they have anymore around.

We do have several mills around here that that give away slab wood, but with the demand for firewood this year, it gets scarfed up as fast as they dump it. Best time is summer when Joe Homeowner isnt thinking about firewood.

 

[Butch(OH)]

Does life get any better than this?

Life is good.

Couple years ago about this time of year I was in the woods with my sons who were about 15 16 at the time. Temp was perfect for working, moods were all perfect,equipment ran perfect. About halfway through the pick up load I was sitting on a log giving my back a rest while watching the boys who kept right on loading. I got to thinking, Lord, if you gave me the option of being anywhere else on Earth, doing anything else, with anybody else, Id turn you down and stay right here. I have often thought since, how many times in a person's life do such opportunities come our way?

Life was good that day,

Guess I aint the only romantic around here, LOL.

 

[Wood Doctor]

Nope, no slab wood at this mill, they chip all their slabs.

However,they did have tons of the mill ends, the big chunks of logs lopped off before it goes through the mill. I dragged home two loads today, both loads as much as my poor old trailer will handle, not to mention what my truck will pull. Out of the whole deal, I got only two pieces of poplar in the loads, the rest was all red and white oak.

And the best part, I sat on my butt and watched them load for me! The loader was something else, never have I seen a guy that knew his machine like this guy did. Not a wasted motion, it looked like just an extension of his arm. When he set the huge pieces in my trailer it was like dropping a feather in there. No sudden drops to shake the trailer to bits like I have had done before. I was in and out of there in 30 minutes.

Now if I could just get that guy to follow me out in the woods once in awhile...

That's incredible. This is not oak slabwood--a great firewood in its own right? And, they loaded it onto your truck? etc.

Well, Avalancher, I guess I should have taken that job I was offered years ago in Knoxville, TN. I just plain blew it.

Reap the harvest!

 

[avalancher]

That's incredible. This is not oak slabwood--a great firewood in its own right? And, they loaded it onto your truck? etc.

Well, Avalancher, I guess I should have taken that job I was offered years ago in Knoxville, TN. I just plain blew it.

Reap the harvest!

You wouldnt like it here, no snow! The only thing that I would change about it here, doesnt get cold enough!

 

[KsWoodsMan]

Does life get any better than this?

Not very often. The times it does are very rare and well earned.

 

[wdchuck]

This is the first autumn when the feelings about burning wood are the same as when spring rolls around, " So glad this chore is done". Gawd, it ain't even cold out yet.

I've been running a processor at night until midnight, short on sleep, kids all day, and not getting any of my own wood cut/split/stacked for next year.

It's just possible that I'm burned out on firewood already. Tired.

 

[wdchuck]

Uhhh, no pun intended.

 

[mtfallsmikey]

After reading the entire thread...I'm in a zen-like trance!


ommmmmmmmmmm....

 

[avalancher]

This is the first autumn when the feelings about burning wood are the same as when spring rolls around, " So glad this chore is done". Gawd, it ain't even cold out yet.

I've been running a processor at night until midnight, short on sleep, kids all day, and not getting any of my own wood cut/split/stacked for next year.

It's just possible that I'm burned out on firewood already. Tired.

I felt that way last year, I got a late start on my wood, ending up with the majority of my wood gathering done in the cold of winter. I set up lights behind the shop so that I could split after dark,seems that I spent the majority of the summer just hauling rounds back to the house and didnt get to the splitting until it was way late in the year.
By January I was sick of wood. Guess that prompted me to stay on the stick this summer and get things done early so that I could enjoy the fall cutting season.

 

[hickslawns]

I just don't always have the time to get to it. Therefore, the splitter mounted to the Bobcat with the lights turned on can be handy. Avalancher-good for you. I am glad there are many of us that feel the same way about this sorta work as you do. The Lord has blessed me with the ability to work and the desire to do so, and has even given me the blessing/curse of enjoying it! Hopefully, all those of us with plenty of wood stacked up won't have to dish it out on November the 5th in a redistribution of the wealth effort for those too lazy and unappreciative to go do this work themselves. But then again, those people wouldn't appreciate the serenity of the sounds and smells of firewood.