Most people don't understand the dedication it takes to heat a house with fire wood. I've been heating with wood either as secondary or primary heat source since I was a kid. It's really a life style, doesn't matter if you're getting wood off your land or running around for it. Loads of work.
I know what you mean there.Started supplemental wood heat when I was 17,still at it 43 years later.Parental units bought 10 acres heavily stocked 90% oak/hickory with a few other scattered species and a small cabin about an hour from here when I was not quite 18.I still go out there a couple times monthly when weather (and now my slowly aging body) permits.Plus a local small tree service contact since summer 2012 dumps off a big trailer load here in town for free once a year or so- most of the bigger nicer pieces from that - Various species like Honey Locust,Bur Oak,Mulberry,Black Walnut,Black Cherry,occasionally a nice old largeWhite Oak yard tree - goes to feed my woodworking hobby- I mill them into boards,slabs,plus some shorter blocks/chunks for woodturning,have even sold a few pieces from time to time.That dont make me rich of course,but it does buy a new ripping chain,regular chain,some files or other supplies that I need anyway.
I owned a gas horizontal/vertical splitter,purchased new from Apr.1996 to Dec.2005,when it was sold.It sat in garage unused the last 3 years,so I got rid of it.Other than that short time frame,I've split all my wood with various mauls since I was 17.Its not easy,especially the past few years now,but I still enjoy cutting,splitting stacking the wood & I'll continue long as I'm able to. Its really a lifestyle,like you said.
Its what's kept me in decent shape all these years,even now.If I had started at 40 or so,I'd probably did things a little differently than I did when starting at the beginning,but who knows.If all a sudden I couldnt do the wood anymore,it would be a great shock to me,but there will be a day (coming sooner than later now) that will happen.Am not gonna worry about that til the day arrives,hopefully that's a few more years yet.....
Plus in the early 90's I started collecting,rebuilding/restoring as in addition to using for all of my felling trees,bucking the wood,even milling woodworking stock vintage chainsaws (pre 1985 roughly) but that's another story in itself.....
In the photo is roughly 90% Red,White & Bur Oak,either dead fall or snags I dropped since May 2023.Remainder is some leftover Shagbark Hickory,some Green Ash & Mulberry scattered among it,that is mostly in the back row.Plus the really dark wood is some Bur Oak that was leftover from 2-3 years ago.Its super dense,the best of the bunch here.I tend to save it (along with my Honey Locust & the Hickory) for the coldest winter days....
A couple more medium sized Red/White Oak snags already felled in past 3 weeks,just need to get back out there,load it up,bring it back to town to finish out this stack.Though there's probably enough nearby to start a 3rd stack,the grass/wildflowers in the timber is getting tall now,plus it usually starts getting hot by early June around here.Normally dont do much if any work in the woods in July or August,the temps plus the humidity can really be brutal around here then.Besides,since I retired almost 5 years ago after 30 years working commercial construction full time + doing tree work part time on the side (not just for myself on my family owned property) I'm supposed to be ''taking it easy'' now
Funny though,most of the time I'm still busy 25-40 hrs a week,but its different when you can work at your own pace,stop & take a break whenever you feel like,not at a set,scheduled time of day like when still employed.....
So much past then I usually wait until cooler temps around early September,I'm no rush any more.That's a good thing too haha.
2nd pic is this big White Oak at the acreage that died sometime late 2022.Planning on bringing it down sometime this Fall,if not,then next Spring.Guessing it was the 2nd oldest tree on the property,roughly 24"-26" diameter x 80 some feet tall.Hoping to get a few 6 foot long wide 2" thick planks from the lowest part of the trunk,I'll know if its worth it (other than firewood) once the tree is dropped.If its hollow (didnt sound like it though) will be several more loads of wood,guessing there's 2-3 full pickup loads just from the tops & branches easily.