Scrounging Firewood (and other stuff)

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I'm from Amarillo, Texas. We don't have as much "wood burning" weather as many parts of the country but from mid to late October to mid April or so we usually have a fire going in our wood stove in the living room. Many times just to take the evening chill off. I burn maybe a cord or two a year normally. I grew up in the upper midwest though and we heated a two story, 4 bedroom farmhouse with wood so I really enjoy cutting wood, burning wood etc....it reminds me of a simpler time in my life.
 
I heated with wood for 25 years, until they ran natural gas down my road and I converted to that.

I still burn a good amount in my upstate (Catskill Mtns) hunting cabin, and I cut wood for my daughter (they have a combo oil/wood furnace), and for other's who just need trees removed.
 
We can't remove wood any more due to EAB restrictions. (Have to I tercept folks in the way in!).

Philbert


So you have some kind of chipping or disposal site as well but you can't take anything out of it? Locally they are GLAD people take the wood- that much less the city has to chip! In the spring you will often see trucks and trailers going in and 2-3 guys cutting and hauling out all day long on the weekends or evenings, at my site anyway, there are three others in town and I dunno about those.....Mine is pretty busy.
 
So you have some kind of chipping or disposal site as well but you can't take anything out of it?

There have always been liability concerns about random people climbing around randomly piled brush and trees with chainsaws.

The restrictions came in with the Emerald Ash Borer quarantine. The chipped wood is burned for steam/co-generation.

Philbert
 
I can understand both sides of the argument. Unfortunately the "Joe Homeowner's" of the world and their ambulance chasing attorneys have cost the rest of us a lot of lost opportunities in things like this.
 
The chipped wood is burned for steam/co-generation.

Philbert


Locally they started arresting and prosecuting people (down on their luck) for going through the recycling bins at the curb looking for aluminum cans to sell for a nickle...the "City" makes money from the recycling to pay for the service, so you're stealing, or that's the story.

I could see them pulling a stunt like that on the wood at your drop-off point.
 
I am keeping an eye out today for my neighbor. He wont listen. He is trimming his tree with an extension ladder and a chainsaw with a t-shirt, gym shorts and tennis shoes on. No gloves, safety glasses or PPE. He is cutting one handed as far as he can reach with one hand. He isn't using a top handle saw and his ladder isnt secured to he tree. He wont listen to me or anyone for that matter. Hope he doesnt get hurt. No one likes him but I dont want to see anyone have a chainsaw accident. The common sense gene missed this one.

He got lucky this weekend. He cut an 8-10 horizontal limb straight through top to bottom and the limb split and chaired on him. He is luck he didn't get hurt.
 
I am keeping an eye out today for my neighbor. He wont listen. He is trimming his tree with an extension ladder and a chainsaw with a t-shirt, gym shorts and tennis shoes on. No gloves, safety glasses or PPE. He is cutting one handed as far as he can reach with one hand. He isn't using a top handle saw and his ladder isnt secured to he tree. He wont listen to me or anyone for that matter. Hope he doesnt get hurt. No one likes him but I dont want to see anyone have a chainsaw accident. The common sense gene missed this one.

He got lucky this weekend. He cut an 8-10 horizontal limb straight through top to bottom and the limb split and chaired on him. He is luck he didn't get hurt.


Take video. If you are feeling in a charitable mood after the inevitable happens you can put it on YOUTUBE and donate the advertising proceeds to his widow. Otherwise it might buy you a new bow or saw.....Just sayin'......
 
Looks like he walked away unharmed today. Its just a matter of time though. On a side note, it has gotten so hot here I have stopped hauling wood and am trying to figure out when I want to rent a log splitter to get my pile of rounds split so the drying can begin.
 
Just did some calculations and my woodpile stringers have capacity for about another 1.25 cords and then I'm plumb out of stacking space unless I scrounge up some more railroad ties. These are going to be small splits for the firepit and indoor fireplace. Thinking I'll do one more scrounge on Thursday morning to complete the pile and I can finally focus on prepping the garage for a new paint job over the weekend.

At last year's consumption I have two years of wood piled and almost another year's worth sitting in the woods in rounds to split this fall or next spring. It's been a busy 3 months!
 
Good on you for trying to help. Pain is a more persuasive teacher sometimes.


You know, my dad has a saying about that, "Son, the things you remember best in life hurt or cost you money"......I didn't really understand how right he was at the time....25 years later I'm trying to make my kids understand...They have the same vacant look I'm sure I had when he told it to me......Argh.....
 
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