Scrounging Firewood (and other stuff)

[svk]

Not even close, still hobbling. I keep wanting to walk the top part of my leg off the bottom part, it's like the kneecap wants to slide completely off. Just came in awhile ago taking hay out, about couldn't do it. It sucks, but, I'm still moving. Straight ahead on flat ground isn't too bad, kneeling down or turning sideways is sorta iffy. Almost fallen dozens of times.

Right up there in the top five of stupidest things I have ever done.

Take er easy and let it heal. We need a picture the next time you ride a donkey!

 

[X-S-FLA]

Woops I was a bit late ^. Promise I didn't see his post above. I was interrupted from posting the above reply. I'm trying to see if a solar company will install free solar panels on my house and I pay them a reduced energy monthly charge. Sounds great to me. I'm not too crazy about my electricity company.

hmmm, a suggestion:
If they do install panels on your house, they are required, by law, to install an auto-disconnect in the event of a grid outage.
When that happens, you're SOL for power (and back to the genny). I don't suggest this lightly but here goes: Why not install
your own system (off-grid) with a battery bank to capture the sun's juice. This way, brown-out, black-out, spikes; you'll have clean
power regardless of grid-state. Now, having said that, this type of system's not for the faint-o-heart, nor will it power your
whole house but can take care of the critical loads, e.g., fridge, lighting, sat system, other comms. I did this just before Wilma hit
us and my neighbors were freaked out. I'm only saving 10 bucks a month but I've got guaranteed power in the event...
My startup cost was about 9K doing all myself. The battery bank (2K) will be replaced every 5 years or so.
mike

 

[SteveSS]

Ouch! What did the doc have to say about it, Zogger?

 

[MustangMike]

Beware of "FREE" things, ALWAYS!

 

[1project2many]

Interesting tip, X-S-FLA. Thanks.

Solar installations usually provide an opportunity to get an "energy credit." Those credits can be sold, leased, or lent. Power company installations usually keep those credits and give you nothing. And the credit needs to be monitored... some power companies charge for monitoring the credit they keep! And, most power companies don't pay for excess electricity. They only offer a credit on your bill (not the energy credit above) when you use more than you make. Potentially you could live there for years, rack up thousands in "credit," and never get a thing for it.

But you could also install stadium lighting and cut scrounged firewood with an electric chainsaw well into the night for free!

 

[zogger]

Ouch! What did the doc have to say about it, Zogger?

err..uhh...ole doc zogsacracken said to take it easy, watch sharp turns, and am allowed two aspirin to go to sleep on.

Any photos in the future of me riding on something will be either photoshopped, or on something with an engine....

although my abbreviated bucking donkey ride would have made a hilarious youtube "Hey ya'all, hold my beer and watch this"! vid hehehe

as the kids say EPIC fail......

 

[MustangMike]

I remember when I was in my early teens we visited my cousin up on the Dairy Farm. At the time, he happened to have two Shetland Ponies and a Quarter Horse. He asked me if I wanted to ride, and I of course said yes, so he put me on one of the ponies, no saddle, just a bridal. He then got on the Quarter Horse and proceeded to go full tilt weaving in and out of the farm equipment, and the pony dutifully followed him, no matter what I did.

I thought my life was over, I held on to that poor pony's mane so tight I can't tell you, and somehow I managed to stay on the darn thing. It was an experience I will likely never forget, I'm just glad it did not end badly!

 

[Ambull01]

Yep, cut to full length and trying to hand split, yeech. I did some big ones with the big splitter here when it was working, they split fine, just had to hatchet some strings off, but that is/was a mambo heavy duty splitter, too.

Anymore, sweetgum or elm, I am cutting roughly around 5 inch cookies off the main trunk, then letting them sit until well cracked, then busting them up into pie slices splits.

Not even close, still hobbling. I keep wanting to walk the top part of my leg off the bottom part, it's like the kneecap wants to slide completely off. Just came in awhile ago taking hay out, about couldn't do it. It sucks, but, I'm still moving. Straight ahead on flat ground isn't too bad, kneeling down or turning sideways is sorta iffy. Almost fallen dozens of times.

Right up there in the top five of stupidest things I have ever done.

I've done the whole cookie cutting and splitting thing but think I'll just pass on stuff I need to do that on. It splits a lot easier that way for sure but it really messes up my stacking job lol. I don't know what the hell to do with all the odd shaped pieces so I usually just toss them on the very top of the stack when I reach my desired height.

Sounds about like my ankles. I have 80 year old woman ankles. Probably from spraining them so often. High arches in military combat boots with a heavy rucksack is a recipe for disaster.

hmmm, a suggestion:
If they do install panels on your house, they are required, by law, to install an auto-disconnect in the event of a grid outage.
When that happens, you're SOL for power (and back to the genny). I don't suggest this lightly but here goes: Why not install
your own system (off-grid) with a battery bank to capture the sun's juice. This way, brown-out, black-out, spikes; you'll have clean
power regardless of grid-state. Now, having said that, this type of system's not for the faint-o-heart, nor will it power your
whole house but can take care of the critical loads, e.g., fridge, lighting, sat system, other comms. I did this just before Wilma hit
us and my neighbors were freaked out. I'm only saving 10 bucks a month but I've got guaranteed power in the event...
My startup cost was about 9K doing all myself. The battery bank (2K) will be replaced every 5 years or so.
mike

That's interesting. I just found out about this whole thing so I have a lot of researching to do before I commit to anything. The company that will install the panels isn't my power company. I'm supposed to pay them monthly at a reduced rate for my power usage. From what I've read, they don't connect to my power company. Not really sure how everything works right now but I'll find out. For better or worse I don't really trust anyone, especially if it doesn't make sense to me/I can't figure something out.

Interesting tip, X-S-FLA. Thanks.

Solar installations usually provide an opportunity to get an "energy credit." Those credits can be sold, leased, or lent. Power company installations usually keep those credits and give you nothing. And the credit needs to be monitored... some power companies charge for monitoring the credit they keep! And, most power companies don't pay for excess electricity. They only offer a credit on your bill (not the energy credit above) when you use more than you make. Potentially you could live there for years, rack up thousands in "credit," and never get a thing for it.

But you could also install stadium lighting and cut scrounged firewood with an electric chainsaw well into the night for free!

Oh hell yes. I'm going to put some of those spot lights that shine on your house all night. Put them all around to piss off my neighbors. Electric chainsaws sounds great too. Have to see how loud they are. If they're relatively soft that means I can cut wood in the wee morning hours!

err..uhh...ole doc zogsacracken said to take it easy, watch sharp turns, and am allowed two aspirin to go to sleep on.

Any photos in the future of me riding on something will be either photoshopped, or on something with an engine....

although my abbreviated bucking donkey ride would have made a hilarious youtube "Hey ya'all, hold my beer and watch this"! vid hehehe

as the kids say EPIC fail......

lol. Yep, I would have love to see that vid.

 

[Philbert]

Electric chainsaws sounds great too. Have to see how loud they are. If they're relatively soft that means I can cut wood in the wee morning hours!

Most electric chainsaws are about as loud as a reciprocating saw (Sawzall). Battery saws are even quieter. Crosscut or bow saw would be the quietest. Can use them all in your garage as well!

Philbert

 

[farmer steve]

here's yesterday and today's wood hauling. sorry the pics suck. mostly oak but a couple of ash.

 

[MountainHigh]

Here in the mountains it was 61F in the sun yesterday and today!!! No shirt, soaking up the winter sun while jogging with the dogs. Dips close to freezing at night, but this is one crazy warm winter out here. Only one small snowfall of about 2" back in Dec and nothing since.

 

[1project2many]

61F in the sun yesterday and today!!! No shirt, soaking up the winter sun while jogging with the dogs.

61?? We used to get Chinook winds in MT but I'm thinking you're too far west for those?

 

[MustangMike]

Just below 30 here and another 2" of Snow this morning (on top of the foot we already have). It will drop to 5 tonight, and stay cold through till Wed. I'll be out with the plow again shortly. It took a while before I needed it, but I've been getting my money's worth out of that ATV plow lately.

Great to see you back Mtn, enjoy that warm weather.

Here is a pic my daughter sent me from taking the Grandsons sledding on Sun

 

[greendohn]

A load of Ash followed me home Wednesday with =out a lot of work,,well under 1 tank of fuel in Uncle Ache and homeward bound,

 

[MustangMike]

Nice load of Ash there, just starting to turn.

Your pics demonstrate something I have warned about in the past, Ash can appear to be solid on the outside, but punky on the inside, and not always just in the middle. Always be careful when dropping dead Ash.

 

[greendohn]

Nice load of Ash there, just starting to turn.

Your pics demonstrate something I have warned about in the past, Ash can appear to be solid on the outside, but punky on the inside, and not always just in the middle. Always be careful when dropping dead Ash.

Yep, I've been suckered with some downed Ash down along the river,,looked rock solid, got it home and started splitting only to find it was frozen "punk" and wasn't worth campfire wood!!
99% of the wood I cut is "Tops" left over from timber sales, make a couple cuts and take a look, if it's not any good, I move on to the next.

 

[Wayne68]

Cut down a nice hard maple this afternoon at the father in laws farm, should be good burning next year. Got it all cleaned up and trained my future logger as well

 

[MechanicMatt]

Polar Vortex has hit zogger, 12* now and winchills are supposed to be -22* tonight, YIKES! Thank goodness there is plenty of wood stacked and ready to burn.

 

[greendohn]

Nice load of Ash there, just starting to turn.

Your pics demonstrate something I have warned about in the past, Ash can appear to be solid on the outside, but punky on the inside, and not always just in the middle. Always be careful when dropping dead Ash.

re-read your post and now understand what you're saying.
I have come across standing Ash that looked good and solid that is soft on one side, maybe 1/4 or 1/3 of the way thru. especially if a big limb had fallen off that side.

 

[Sawdust inspector]

Got my scrounge on finally bottom left is oak rest is elm