You think you have problems waiting to burn and an addiction...

Well, I am watching the temps in the states all get to the burn season point...and I am jealous. I am currently with the military deployed to Afghanistan for a year long deployment. Been here since spring, and will remain until the spring 2011. Before I left, I was able to get about 12 cords c/s/s. Mixed woods, oak and poplar mostly for the wife. I tried to get two years put up (we burned close to 7-8 cords the year before I left) since I will not be back till spring, and scrounging will be a full court press to get a second year up. That will only give me a year and a half drying before the 2013 season...not what I would like but being away is the nature of my job. Plus, I stack in an area in the shade, so my drying times are slow. Oak is at least three years.

Hopefully before I leave in the Spring I will have come luck posting on CL looking for a tree service to dump in the driveway. That way, when I get home I can get some quickly c/s/s so I don't end up with wet wood the following year. Wife would kill me to have someone dump now since it would just be a mess in the driveway for her and with two little ones, and a full time job...her days are full enough.
No complaints, I love my work, but definitely miss being with the family...and my wood and fire addiction!

We have internet here...and I am on the site each day. I am even so hooked I look at my local CL ads to see the scrounges I am missing! I tell you, its a disease.

So when you guys (and gals) get the blues, just remember you are probably within hours of your stove, wood and of course family. And when I get the blues...I look at all the little Afghan kids over here, and remember just how lucky I am and how lucky my kids are...being born in the states (or any developed county) gives you a life that many in the world will never see. I count my blessings over here with each waking day. Remember to do the same, with your family...hopefully in front of a roaring fire!

Thanks for the kind words. I always appreciate folks support, but it always feels funny. For me joining the service was what I knew I had to do...made that decision over 20 years ago and never thought there was anything else that would be "right" for me. The military has been very good to me over the years.

GotWood - There are some trees over here, but most have been cut for lumber or heat. It is getting cool here, and the folks will burn anything and everything to keep warm. Air quality is horrible.

Madrone - you can not imagine the "suffering" when I saw a load of oak and hickory less than a mile from the house...with drive up access to the wood! Even stated they would help load.

Savage and sixman - thanks. My wife is a trooper and pretty much has the bases covered. We are fortunate that money is good for us - nice home, bills paid, kids doing well. The items the wife can not get to we out source. Since we are both working, we are lucky to be able to do that within our budget. We both come from fathers that taught us to be self sufficient as much as possible. Much like everyone here on this forum. Never ask for a hand unless you absolutely need it, and there are others in the military who truly need help like many of of junior enlisted folks. This far, we are doing well but I truly appreciate your thoughts.

Sixman - what you do is really nice for uniformed folks and it is appreciated. I was once in Thailand, and this older gentlemen came over to us, asked if we were Yanks and then thanked us for our service. He Belgian village was liberated by the US in WWII, and 50 years after, he was still thankful. We went to leave the bar/restaurant, and to our surprise, he covered the tab. He must have left a mess of money, because he left an hour or so before us, and the owner did not ask for a dime.

For us, burning is not a required means of heating our hose, though we try our best because we love the heat, I love the work, and as everyone here knows, there is a satisfaction that comes with finding, bucking, splitting, stacking and then enjoying wood heat.

I am sure things will work out for me to get a score or two when I get home. But my wife thinks its weird that I long to get home...to work on the wood pile!