When I get asked what its like to have my In-Laws as close neighbours....

When I get asked what its like to have my in-laws as close neighbours I wish I could easily show them what a huge help they are on weekends like we have just had.

With 4 kids living under our roof (19, 16, 14, 11) and the activities and driving that we find ourselves busy with sometimes the wood gathering doesn't go as quickly as I would like.

While we have this winter's wood pretty much secured, and a good start on next year's supply we are not yet the full 2 winters ahead that we need to be to be burning truly seasoned wood.

This past week my MIL and FIL started into cleaning up a new section of the woodlot that we have access to less than a mile from the house.

The FIL loads the gear in our little tractor's bucket and the MIL goes for a hike for her exercise and they head down to the bush with a thermos of coffee and a picnic lunch to cut wood for a few hours.

They have now done this three times in the past 5 days while I have been busy working and running kids to hockey, football etc.

Later today I should have some pics of a few of the stacks of rounds to prove out the story.

On Saturday the boy who is soon to turn 16 went along to add his shoulders and back to the crew. FIL even let him onto the saw for a bit but for the most part he was splitting and stacking.

According to my son the stacks of rounds are approaching 4 cords already with some of the wood already split.

The bonus in all of this is that the wood is almost entirely Ash.

Oh, and did I mention that my MIL is 73 and my FIL is turning 75 in two weeks?

Before anyone else says it.... I know that I am entirely spoiled.

That's cool. Enjoy those moments they go by so quickly.

Wow that is fantastic, both that they are still active enough to go cut and that they are going and cutting for you. I'm sure you will have many enjoyable nights in front of the stove with them.

I'll one up you. My FIL has a processor and a forwarder. When I tell him I'm ready to start cutting wood, he usually just dumps 6 cords of mixed hardwoods by my other stacks of wood.

lets have some pics

I should get some action shots when he's actually cutting. Or some video. My kids love to ride along with him in the cab while he's cutting or loading.

i may be biased as i know where lowroadacres cuts his firewood lol

Here are 3 pics from prior to Saturday's cutting. Right now they are concentrating on getting as much of the downed and dead ash cleaned up while starting to stockpile some of the lesser woods for later cutting and splitting as shoulder season, selling for firepits and for a friend who has an outside boiler.

There is another friend with processor who we will be stockpiling some lengths for

looks like a nice start to next winters supply

Just have to make sure that it is home before another "1 in 300 year flood" goes through the same spot next spring.

true would hate to see all that hard work float away

Sounds like you are gettig wood from several sources.
It's adding up to be quite a few cords too.

But why are you letting others have all the fun ?
Jump in there before it done & you missed it all LOL

I have had firewood float away before.

The beautiful thing about firewood is there is never enough and there is still lots of cutting to do.

The stuff the in-laws are cutting will still need to be split and hauled home (not necessarily in that order) and then of course stacked up.

So if your not quite 2 years ahead why are you cutting to sell it?

I don't sell the good stuff. And if I include the shoulder season and firepit wood I have stacked up on the yard we are well past the 2 years ahead. I want to be 3 years ahead with just ash and oak before I say I am caught up.

So it gets even better.... Check out the photo of the toy my FIL just bought himself for his birthday..... his 75th birthday I might add.

Not every 75 year old gets Sachs on his birthday. He figured the 18 year old 50cc saw he just retired wasn't big enough.

He told me today that I "have to try it out" soon. He's gonna have to twist my rubber arm. I can hardly wait.

Does your wife have a single sister?? (haha) I dont really want another wife - just better inlaws

Wow, all I get from everybody is comments like, "Think you have enough wood yet?"

I get comments from people too... And my reply is always the same... As long as I am heating with wood, I can never have too much firewood. I also end up being asked regularly.... Can I buy some firewood from you?

i know a spot you can test it out

Yeah, my wife and I were just talking about her father (i.e., my FIL) and his ability to cut wood. We have concluded that he has never run a chainsaw in his life and that he would probably kill somebody if I let him run one of mine. We also concluded that he would be deadly using the splitter, sledge hammer/wedges, and/or axe. In short, cutting wood is not in my FIL's ability. My MIL helped me stack some wood last summer, but that is about the extent of it.

However, my dad and brothers make up for it. Procecessed my 10 cords last summer/fall with my dad and it went pretty smoothly. Installed the furance with my dad too. Now, we are enjoying the warmth.

To the OP, not only are you spoiled, but so are your kids. I was running the saw at age 16. My dad had 2 saws and two of his three sons were usually on them by the time we were teenagers. I think it was a really good experience. Went to dinner the other night and was talking to my cousin about his tractor and my zero turn mower and where we bought them because I am in the market for a tractor. I mentioned that I bought my chainsaws from the same dealer. A buddy's 11 year old son looked at me and said "Why do you have chainsaws?" I have known his dad for 24 years now, and am pretty sure his dad has never touched a chainsaw. I really had no reply for the kid.

Some people's kids is sooooo dumb!
My kids ask people why they don't have chainsaws.

Yeah, I should have responded with "What, you mean to tell me your dad does not have a chainsaw? Why doesn't he have a chainsaw?"

Our kids know swinging the axe and are starting to get to know the chainsaw..... They certainly know how to stack wood.
Our kids alos know how to shovel maure, pick weeds, mow lawn (ride on and push), they are learning their way around the tractor and of course they are learning power tools.

The 15 year old is currently working to resurrect a /repower a gas powered welder/generator that we inherited from a friend who was cleaning up.

This doesn't include the understanding of hunting, butchering, firearms, etc that they are in the process of learning.

People usually only ask me once why we are raising our children in a rural setting.

If nothing else you'll need some chainsaws to fend off the zombies in the Zombie Apocalypse.