Seems like I'm the only one in our "firewood alley" to be ready with wood

PA. Woodsman said:

I'd be very uneasy if I didn't have my wood split in late May....

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Yes, indeed. A couple guys here haven't done much yet. Suggested to one guy to get dead stuff out of his woods in a couple of weeks, when he's off work. He's got a smoke-blower so even if this wood isn't 'hearth dry,' it should still work for him. The other guy, I don't know. I talked to his buddy, and he said they had their eye on some dead Ash. I told them I would haul it out with the quad for them. The guy in question kind of quit burning in the middle of last winter from the looks of his stack, so I don't know....
Even though I'm a little late on some in-laws' wood, I've got a good drying spot for their stuff so it should work out. I've got plenty for us and my MIL But most of it's Oak...oh-oh!

I start getting the shakes if I not done with my stacks by the end of march. After that its too hot to be outside swinging the fiskars.

Of course this is the time of year my tree guy calls me every other week with a load of something I can't say no to so it sits stacked in the far 40 until about October.

Next years is already cut and split since November. Right now I am scrounging for wood for the following season.

When I started heating with wood it was random and hit and miss with what I had available from year to year. Apple orchard prunings are always there and the reason the house has 3 fireplaces. But culled wood from storm damaged trees and deadfall were basically all we bothered with. It was hobby burning until fuel oil prices soared. In the last 12 years its been a gradual transition. Which is good because it spread the cost out. Now it has graduated to almost full wood heat. And setting up dry firewood has switched to more of a science. It was not really a conscious decision. I burn 5 cords a year and its still supplemental. But I also still burn alot of garbage wood. Low BTU stuff. The last 3 years have turned to an active pursuit of more valuable hardwoods and a turned focus to woodlot management. Hickory and sugar maples were always off limits for cutting here. But its a good thing in a sense because these trees have reached a maturity where they are seed producing. My next project is reforestation. Seedling production and transplanting. Its actually just hobby farming but toward a practical end.

Them boys should already have '14 to '15 wood laid in by now. It won't get much seasoning time if they keep procrastinating.

We're all set for next winter but I'm still working up for '15 to '16. Last winter was brutal in the woods - rain, snow, ice and the inevitable mud that comes with it all. Got the trees down and bucked in December... and the mud season took over.

Still have two red oaks to get in. I've never been splittin' and stackin' this late in the year before.

I'm currently working on my '19-'20 supply, won't really know for sure until I get a couple winters under my belt with the Vapor Fire, but I'm panning on around 5 cords a year to be safe.

PA. Woodsman said:

I have no idea what they're waiting for; the one guy used to go gangbusters with wood, now he doesn't even have any rounds laying around to split-maybe he's giving up with wood heat? The other guy with the twigs and branches, he has a woodstove in his enclosed porch, and he has a lot of Oak square pieces from a friend's work, so maybe the Oak heats him out of that little area and will only need them and the branches. The new guy, I have no idea what he is doing; rounds on pallets, rounds on a trailer, a few guys coming over here and there splitting a few rounds once in awhile....it's none of my business, I've been done for awhile now and have next year's and started on the following year, but these guys used to be really into it and now it seems like they are dropping out of the woodburner's club, or at least hesitating to renew their membership!

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Maybe they just got "old",.

Maybe it is a "health" issue.

Or worse, maybe marital problems.

I'm still splitting and stacking a load of Pine for late winter/early spring this coming season but I'm way,way ahead of where I started. As a yearling newbie I think I have another year of hot weather hard labor before I can take summers off. I'll work through the summer trying to scrounge the good stuff. That's OK, though... I still enjoy the hell out of it. Cheers!

It's fishing season. Shoulda had your wood all done 6 weeks ago. (finished mine today )

I have about 1/2 cord Pine split and stacked. Never thought I could burn it until my eyes were opened here. I had another one of "those conversations" with my buddies' FIL yesterday as we were putting a new roof on his shed. "You're gonna burn Pine in your woodstove? Son are you trying to burn your house down???" I smiled and tried to explain to him, no use however. He just shook his head

JRHAWK9 said:

I'm currently working on my '19-'20 supply, won't really know for sure until I get a couple winters under my belt with the Vapor Fire, but I'm panning on around 5 cords a year to be safe.

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19/20 just sounds plain wierd. Time flies by so quickly. Next thing you know we will be working on our 39/40 stacks.

I agree with P.A., need to get the work done in early spring in order to have a good drying season and to stay ahead or get further ahead. I was lucky enough to cut a builders lot this February and landed 8 cord, you just have to drop what your doing and don't say no. I'm happy to be another year ahead after that score.

I've got 16 cords CSS'd, and another 2-3 in rounds that will be split soon, if we could just get past repetitive rounds of stomach flu in our house. Best to get it done before it gets too hot, but I did split 3-4 cords last July 4.

I'm right around the holy grail of being 3 yrs ahead. I have just about 12 cord c/s/s and another 1 maybe in rounds. I'm taking it easy for a few weeks since I busted my hump to get here

4 years ahead here, finished splitting and stacking about 6 weeks ago. Taking the summer off and will start cutting again come fall and cooler weather. One of the main advantages of being ahead is I don't have to cut when it's 95 and humid!

Fortunately we have avoided that stomach thing and we are not that far away from you, knock on wood. Now, out to split some cherry I have been avoiding

D8Chumley said:

Fortunately we have avoided that stomach thing and we are not that far away from you, knock on wood. Now, out to split some cherry I have been avoiding

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When you say "knock on wood" you really mean it!

Yes I do!! Knocked it out already, I bucked it over the winter and left it lay next to the stacks it fell on. Now it's stacked and seasoning, maybe 1/3 cord

Ugh I was hoping I could tone it down after that for the remainder of the weekend since I've been working around here for 2 straight days. She has some flowers that need planted...

I'm actually almost half way between Emmaus and Philly, by mileage, if not drive time. No one has heard of my little hamlet in northern MontCo, so I just use Philly for the national audience.

Used to work up your way, and I sure do miss Shangy's. Beer Mecca, if there ever was one.

Sorry to hear about your stomach troubles. We had two rounds of stomach flu in this house inside 4 or 5 weeks. One kid brings it home from school, then the other catches it, and then it moves on to the wife. I spend ten days taking care of them, and then I get it last.

Joful said:

I'm actually almost half way between Emmaus and Philly, by mileage, if not drive time. No one has heard of my little hamlet in northern MontCo, so I just use Philly for the national audience.

Used to work up your way, and I sure do miss Shangy's. Beer Mecca, if there ever was one.

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I get around a lot working for the company I do, I might have worked near your little hamlet. I've worked throughout eastern PA into N. MD and Virginia as we have companies there as well. We try to avoid working close to the city to avoid union troubles