I drove down a side street the other day, scoping for whatever, and saw a CL&P crew working in some family's yard cutting down some sizable trees that threatened some power lines.
The next morning I made a detour to check the site out and see if there was anything to scrounge...lo and behold, the crew had bucked it into rounds, and split the larger rounds into pieces that were just small enough to pick up...then they stacked about half the load at the curb. Beyond that, in the yard, was another pile.
I saw the homeowner doing yard work and got his permission to take whatever I wanted from the curb, but the pile in the yard was earmarked for a friend.
Taking only the straight grained stuff - no crotches, it took me 2.5 loads in my Ford Ranger to get all the wood off the curb. Luckily, the house we're putting on the market was only about 5 minutes away, ...and the pile was on a seldom traveled side street. So I was the only guy working the pile.
Next day, I drive by again, still some wood on the curb - the stuff I rejected, and still the pile in the yard.
Third day - the homeowner had a sign out on the curb saying FREE FIREWOOD - so I stopped, and he told me to take whatever I wanted of the pile in the yard - back right onto the grass and help myself.
So I took another 2.5 loads out...again - the only guy working the pile.
This time, I also lugged about half of my rejects out to the curb for him...figured I'd make it easier for the next guy, and reduce the amount of driving on the homeowner's grass.
Heck of a haul though - all red oak and (I think) silver maple...and all straight grained. Perfect axe splitting wood...
The next morning I made a detour to check the site out and see if there was anything to scrounge...lo and behold, the crew had bucked it into rounds, and split the larger rounds into pieces that were just small enough to pick up...then they stacked about half the load at the curb. Beyond that, in the yard, was another pile.
I saw the homeowner doing yard work and got his permission to take whatever I wanted from the curb, but the pile in the yard was earmarked for a friend.
Taking only the straight grained stuff - no crotches, it took me 2.5 loads in my Ford Ranger to get all the wood off the curb. Luckily, the house we're putting on the market was only about 5 minutes away, ...and the pile was on a seldom traveled side street. So I was the only guy working the pile.
Next day, I drive by again, still some wood on the curb - the stuff I rejected, and still the pile in the yard.
Third day - the homeowner had a sign out on the curb saying FREE FIREWOOD - so I stopped, and he told me to take whatever I wanted of the pile in the yard - back right onto the grass and help myself.
So I took another 2.5 loads out...again - the only guy working the pile.
This time, I also lugged about half of my rejects out to the curb for him...figured I'd make it easier for the next guy, and reduce the amount of driving on the homeowner's grass.
Heck of a haul though - all red oak and (I think) silver maple...and all straight grained. Perfect axe splitting wood...
You can hardly ask for a better scrounge than that.
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