Scrounging Firewood (and other stuff)

[MustangMike]

The killer for me was the late 70s/early 80s when heating oil tripled over night and we had gas lines and you could only buy on certain days based on odd or even plate #s. I heated my house with wood for 25 yrs, but when Nat Gas came through, I grabbed it.

My upstate hunting cabin has always been and will always be heated by wood, and I cut for my daughter and sometimes help out my nephew (MechanicMatt), and others on occasion.

Outdoor fires are also always nice to do at the upstate property (not allowed down here!).

 

[1project2many]

Remember the '70s lines, odd & even days, stations closed, "Out of Gas" signs hanging in windows and on pumps. We always had a car and gas since mom drove school bus (74 Chevy Caprice wagon) & dad drove truck. Local stations always saved gas for the buses and trucks. Remember the magic pills, fuel magnets, 200mpg carb plans & etc that dad tried. They did make cars well back then 'cause our old Dodge kept running despite his best efforts to kill it. That's when Dad started burning wood, too, but that's an adventure for another thread. Gas was over $1 / gallon before I got my license but a couple of months before I took the road test for my license fuel dropped to 98 cents. The day it happened my buddy, a year older, grabbed me as I was walking out of school and said "C'mon! We're taking the Camaro out today." Camaro was 1968 model, 4 speed, 383, dual quads, and as it turned out, used nearly a tank of fuel in just a few hours of fun. Ack! $13!!! Only downside for me was none of what I learned during my turn at the wheel was useful during my road test two months later.

 

[CTYank]

I'm normally a whisky(ey) drinker but enjoy me a good sherry every so often and had a couple glasses tonight. For those that don't know sherry or think it's a sissy drink consider this. It's white wine fortified with brandy so the abv is 18-20%. Consuming a 4 glass bottle (which I've done but didn't tonight) is akin to downing a 12 pack of beer.

Anyhow it was a great night to hang in the foothills of the Adirondacks. Combination white pine and elm fire burned long and smelled great.

View attachment 370319

If you stop at one of the big wineries along the southern edge of the Finger Lakes (like Widmer or Taylor) you can take a freebie tour of their "solera". Traditional method of producing sherry (name derived from Jerez in Spain). Big room with huge wooden vats. Each year they remove and bottle 1/7 of the contents of each vat. Then refill them with the squeezings of Palomino grapes.

Walk into such a room, and the fragrance of those grapes will be unmistakable.

Bottom line: not much to do with "white wine" nor brandy. Not for real sherry, anyway. Ye'r welcome.

 

[svk]

If you stop at one of the big wineries along the southern edge of the Finger Lakes (like Widmer or Taylor) you can take a freebie tour of their "solera". Traditional method of producing sherry (name derived from Jerez in Spain). Big room with huge wooden vats. Each year they remove and bottle 1/7 of the contents of each vat. Then refill them with the squeezings of Palomino grapes.

Walk into such a room, and the fragrance of those grapes will be unmistakable.

Bottom line: not much to do with "white wine" nor brandy. Not for real sherry, anyway. Ye'r welcome.

Not to take this off topic but here's the the official definition of Sherry http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sherry White grapes fortified with "grape spirit" or some also call it brandy. I guess I am not a snob as I drink American Sherry and not the "real" stuff

I do prefer wines both white and red made from NY grown grapes over any others. But I prefer the brown stuff from Kentucky or Scotland for 95% of the year....

 

[CTYank]

Not to take this off topic but here's the the official definition of Sherry http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sherry White grapes fortified with "grape spirit" or some also call it brandy. I guess I am not a snob as I drink American Sherry and not the "real" stuff

I do prefer wines both white and red made from NY grown grapes over any others. But I prefer the brown stuff from Kentucky or Scotland for 95% of the year....

Are you saying that Widmer and Taylor, among others, are not American? Maybe conservapedia gets it right? Doubt it. I'm not a snob either, but still stay away from Ripple-stuff. "The official definition"? Really?

Anyhow, the discussions here might have gotten a bit "routine"? To put it kindly. Reminiscent of some stuff on hearth dot com.

 

[svk]

Are you saying that Widmer and Taylor, among others, are not American? Maybe conservapedia gets it right? Doubt it. I'm not a snob either, but still stay away from Ripple-stuff. "The official definition"? Really?

Anyhow, the discussions here might have gotten a bit "routine"? To put it kindly. Reminiscent of some stuff on hearth dot com.

Alright sorry the "accepted" definition. What I meant by "real" sherry was the stuff made in Spain. I am fine with the American styles.

Want to rouse it up a bit in here....OK you asked for it.....My Fiskars will outsplit your Council, Hultafors, or any other wood handled tool by 5 to 1. Oh and Dolmars are for wusses.

 

[MustangMike]

Re: Red wines ... about the only real good red grape grown in NY is Cab Franc, and only after they learned to splice the vine w/a white root. CA & WA have the best Cab and Merlot and Red Zin grapes, and it is hard to beat Argentina for Malbec. If you want Shiraz, go down under.

 

[Philbert]

Welcome to the 'Scrounging Sherry' thread . . .

Philbert

 

[mainewoods]

I suppose the "after" scrounging, self medicating with alcohol stage, is an intrigal part of the scrounging process, and should be discussed.

 

[CTYank]

Alright sorry the "accepted" definition. What I meant by "real" sherry was the stuff made in Spain. I am fine with the American styles.

Want to rouse it up a bit in here....OK you asked for it.....My Fiskars will outsplit your Council, Hultafors, or any other wood handled tool by 5 to 1. Oh and Dolmars are for wusses.

You still ragging on that sh*t? At least it seems that you know when you're talking sh*t about those plastic toys. Your old Husky spilled much more mix that one day than all of mine burned in a week. Take that. I won't touch some of the other lob serves there.

 

[CTYank]

Re: Red wines ... about the only real good red grape grown in NY is Cab Franc, and only after they learned to splice the vine w/a white root. CA & WA have the best Cab and Merlot and Red Zin grapes, and it is hard to beat Argentina for Malbec. If you want Shiraz, go down under.

Nonsense. Try some of the Red Dirt Red sometime, made from Baco Noir grapes grown by the Finger Lakes. Might even be persuaded to pass a sample. Tastes of fruit, as opposed to oak.

Variety is the spice of forums, Philbert. Couldn't help response to having "smoke blown up my nose" as the Brits put it.

 

[svk]

You still ragging on that sh*t? At least it seems that you know when you're talking sh*t about those plastic toys. Your old Husky spilled much more mix that one day than all of mine burned in a week. Take that. I won't touch some of the other lob serves there.

You're the one who said it was too boring in here lol.

 

[svk]

Ok I'll give you this. Australian Shiraz is amongst my favorites. Otherwise NY grapes all the way, rarely do I like anything from CA. South America stuff is OK in my book but nothing to write home about.

 

[mainewoods]

Give me a tall glass of Old Duke any day! If that isn't available a nice yellow tail reserve chardonnay will do just nicely

 

[spike60]

Sherry? Really guys?

 

[dancan]

I dunno what these guys are talkin bout but ......LOL

Was at the day job and had an hour that I could put in on the RonCo LH 1.1 .

I did some fancier chit on this one than I did on mine .

 

[mainewoods]

I guess we can't talk about scrounging all the time. All work and no play........ you know.

 

[dancan]

BTW, I'm sitting back thinking of scrounging drinking a Pabst LOL

 

[svk]

BTW, I'm sitting back thinking of scrounging drinking a Pabst LOL

An excellent choice when served ice cold. I always call PBR the Rodney Dangerfield of beers. It gets no respect.

 

[mainewoods]

I'm scrounging thinking about drinking.