Different neck of the woods.

Had to clear a few logs frozen into the ground with the backhoe. The mechanical thumb came in handy today. They were frozen to the ground hard enough that the bucket could not move them. Took some prying with the hoe to get them out of the way to get to the reward. A few of the seven bucket loads I took out today. They are now in the yard ready for the maul and new Fiskars 27.

looks like your getting a little bit of wood together.........I did the same

Looks good and it sure beats sitting on the couch looking out the window. What kind of BTU's you got there Gas? I was into some sugar maple and ash yesterday...oh and a few pieces of elm and cherry that got in the way.

No snow?? Just a few inches in Wisconsin too.

That would be some White Ash. Plentiful on the family's property. I might have enough wood in the yard for next year. Mostly Ash, some Oak, a little Cherry. Don't let that elm and cherry get in the way, they burn plenty well too.

We had one good storm with about 15" of snow. Then a warm spell came and melted it away. Okay with me, but the skiers and snowmobilers didn't like it. The cold weather came back and the ground is frozen. As long as the groung is frozen it makes it nice to get wood. I do hope we get some more snow though. For them to use and have fun, but more importantly so we have enough water. We have only got about oh 20 inches of snow all year I guess. That is not much precipitation.

Pretty "bad" year for snow up here in Maine as well . . . I have to travel 1 1/2 hours north or so if I want to go sledding . . . just a couple of inches down here.

I have mixed feelings though . . . sad since I am not doing any local riding, but happy since it means clear weather for the guys slowly working on the roof.

Ya, I hear ya Jake. Good to have the weather to work in. If ground is frozen, it makes for getting wood nice. And I love cold weather. No bugs. When the bugs is out, I am not in the woods. Unless I am hiking, which means I am moving at a pretty good pace. Sometimes even jogging some of it. Have I told you I don't like the bugs?

Perfect timing for getting the wood out, 4-6 inches then warming back up then cooling off again might have made it worse.

Looks like almost perfect conditions for getting that wood out.

Damn straight Jags. If I have the time, I don't mind splitting some with the maul, wedges when needed, and now the Fiskars 27. And the Ash splits so nice it is enjoyable to do and a really good work out. But, when I have a lot to split I usually borrow the neighbors home made splitter or rent a splitter at Aubuchon Hardware store. The price is just $40 for a half day or $60 for a whole day. So it is worth it to just rent it for the one or two times a year I need it. I have borrowed my neighbors splitter many, many times though! Some day in the far off future I am going to buy a nice splitter though, maybe a fast cycle Iron and Oak. But that is a lot of bean dip for something that will sit there 362 days a year.

Dam ZAP. I was not expecting this much snow. I thought we were going to get an inch or two. We must have at least five inches, maybe six. You are late on informing me of the forcast! Now all that wood I was going to start working on is covered in snow. 37 and rain tommorrow and 52 and rain on Wednesday.

Yes Sir I burn a good bit of cherry every year and now elm a little more since I have hydraulics.

The roads are bad, it won't last long.

I just came in from plowing with the tractor. Got a slight chill in me now. We got six inches at my house. I didn't want to take chance and not have it all melt fast enough when we get that rain the next few days. Then it could turn to ice after getting packed down. The way things look though it probably will melt everything. I guess it just depends on how many hours during those two days the warmest temps hold up for. I forgot I told you one time I know how to use the internet for the weather. Now I can't bust on ya about being late with the forcast anymore.

Another artic cold front coming this way (Friday) it will last 3-5 days...feel worse than the last one because of the warmer temps coming the next two days.

Is this coming east, if it is you better plug the tractor in.
http://www.weather.com/weather/aler...&wxlayer=temperature&zoom=6&camefrom=national

That's pretty much where I am right now too. I'm 42 now and if I can keep scrounging the easy splitting hardwoods like, Red Oak, Ash, and Black Locust I think I can continue hand splitting for a while yet. The actual splitting is only a small part of the whole process anyway.