Am I the only one who...

[Dunadan]

...gets a perverse joy out of looking at my winter wood stacks?

I don't know if it's because I'm (almost) a new insert owner (next Friday is the install date), but I love checking out (ok...I'll be honest...admiring) my stacked wood.

I've got 2 cords stacked and ready to go in my garage, and I can't help sneaking down before bed to admire my stacks.

Maybe it's the sense of accomplishment having stacked it all so nicely myself (with help from my daughters), or if it's knowing that I now have the ability to provide my own heat, and don't have to rely on the oil company, my boiler, the power, or anything. Or it could just be that it reminds me of how things used to be a long time ago.

Is it just me?

 

[BrotherBart]

The morning drill:

1. Start the coffee.

2. Go down and turn on the computer.

3. Go up and get a cup of coffee and walk out on the deck, lean on the rail and admire the woodpile.

By late November number 3. will turn into "and wonder why it is going down so fast."

 

[michaelthomas]

I am guilty of sneaking off to admire my wood pile. I have about 8 cord stacked and am still constantly "rubber necking" as I drive looking for downed wood or free wood. I even have found that I admire others wood piles, and look at them each time I pass their house. I look every day and even notice when they have taken in a fresh load because the pile has changed. It is almost like an OCD problem. I just went out side to look at my piles again. I think I should go look at them again. I am going to go look at them again.....

 

[snowfreak]

I usually sneak a peek at the wood pile about 3 times a week. I check out the radial cracks and how some of the ends are almost black in color while others are golden brown with the same amount of seasoning. I thought I was the only sick puppy, glad to know there are others. What's really weird is when the burning season starts I can actually remember some of the wood chunks and what tree they came from and the joys of cutting and splitting that tree.

 

[RoosterBoy]

i do it all the time this is my first year with cutting and splitting my own firewood i use to just have 2 cords dropped in the driveway but when i called and heard $200 a cord. i decided to take matters into my own hands now i have 14 cords of logs and 8 cords split and stacked ready to go. looks like i wont have to worry about wood for a while i have not seen anyone with more wood then me in my area yet but i look at my wood pile all the time looking forward to burning my wood ;-) i am going to burn wood 100% from now on and stop using oil for heat and just for hot-water

thanks
Jason

 

[Rich M]

I set up a couple chairs in the woodshed and regularly have seat and just admire the suroundings, especially when it's snowing or raining. And yes, I check out every stick and pile while I'm driving too.

 

[webbie]

Heck, I remember when "stacked" really meant something....you guys are gettin too old now!

Actually, I now only admire woodpiles, I take pics of some to add to the gallery. They can be an art form.

When I was in NJ, most piles were just that - pile. But the further north I travel, the more serious the wood piles. Some of the best are in northern VT and NH. Perfect stacks - have to be skills passed down through the generations.

 

[elkimmeg]

Stacked when was the last time you were at Hooters

 

[wg_bent]

speaking of stacks...how are the holtz housen's going? How did they perform? Did they dry wood faster than stacked square on pallets? or in rows?

And no, your not the only one.

I have 11+ cords in the yard, and I'm still collecting. My biggest thing is that I don't have any to split right now and I really miss going out every now and then to split a bunch of rounds. Spackling my basement ceiling just isn't any where near as satisfying.

 

[got wood?]

regarding HH, IMHO it doesn't appear to be much (any) faster...but it's got two things going for it.

1. holds a *lot* of wood in a relatively small space when compared to racks
2. looks pretty cool when doing so

experimented with HH with my buddy who has got lots of trees to be had. He stacked two 7x8 (dxh) HH on custom pallets the same week as I racked mine on several 5x16 (hxl)...both in about 40% sun exposure and the wood is comparable. We don't have a means of checking the moisture level, but it's been out and split for about 3/4 season and *looks/feels* equivalent...

 

[jtcedinburgh]

I am new to this, but I have to admit to a closet woodpile admiration too - and I only have around 800Kg of wood. Actually, how many cords would that be?

 

[jtcedinburgh]

Approximately seven furlongs

 

[paulgp602]

...gets a perverse joy out of looking at my winter wood stacks?

I don't know if it's because I'm (almost) a new insert owner (next Friday is the install date), but I love checking out (ok...I'll be honest...admiring) my stacked wood.

I've got 2 cords stacked and ready to go in my garage, and I can't help sneaking down before bed to admire my stacks.

Maybe it's the sense of accomplishment having stacked it all so nicely myself (with help from my daughters), or if it's knowing that I now have the ability to provide my own heat, and don't have to rely on the oil company, my boiler, the power, or anything. Or it could just be that it reminds me of how things used to be a long time ago.

Is it just me?

I like not giving the oil company more money. I can heat the house with free wood that I got on my own. Can't find oil on the side of the road!
I am on auto delivery with oil and Friday they brought 105 gallons @ $2.59 per gallon. So for $271 I got my tank "topped off". What a rip off. I also have been monitoring the local smaller guys oil prices and on Friday their posted price was $2.14 a gallon. I would have saved roughly $45 dollars. So this morning I am cancelling my auto delivery with my current company and asking them why they are 45 cents more per gallon.

 

[suematteva]

We are around 15 cord..morning with the coffee and the pooch tour...me for the same as above,, pooch for squirrels and chipmunks,,late afternoon same thing only a beer or fermented grape juice..

 

[DavidV]

Hello, my name is David.....and I'm an obsessive woodpile watcher.
Hanging in my cube at work, I have a graphpaper layout of my back yard where I stack the wood. have each stack listed with it's volume of wood. Also have listed when it was stacked( year). I like to keep an eye on how long it's been there. I note which ones have been passed over in years past because they aren't as convenient to get the wood from. So that I can change the positions of where I keep them. I did put up some privacy fence next in front of the closest stack to make our home look a bit less "redneck Chiche".....of course with all the construction debris from the remodel this year it probly doesn't matter. I have the day off today and after I do a couple things for the remodel I will be out there running my new saw, cutting up some longer pieces of wood and a few burls that I want to use for furniture.

 

[webbie]

I am new to this, but I have to admit to a closet woodpile admiration too - and I only have around 800Kg of wood. Actually, how many cords would that be?

Not as much wood on that side of the pond - that's why European stoves are often smaller.
800Kg, depending on species, is less that a cord and if hardwood about 1/2 cord.

Now you know where those tales of Paul Bunyan (giant woodsman) came from - we have real Paul Bunyans here. These guys have enough wood to heat the whole village!

 

[wg_bent]

Interesting point Craig...Once again...Americans doing things bigger. Are we trying to heat a lot more cuft than the europeans?
Do they have better insulation?

I sort of wondered why many of the Morso stoves are quite small.

Same with Scans.

But then there is the Russia/finish/etc... "fireplaces" which make our wood stoves look like a joke. Do the norweigen countries have an abundance of wood? Seems like Russia would.

 

[BikeMedic2709]

Actually have names for them. Nothing like looking at the stacked wood. I even like pimpin' through town with a fresh cut load in the truck or the trailer! Cooooool! But, I get sad as the stacks get smaller. I must go cut some more...

 

[carpniels]

HI Guys,

I am glad to read I am not the only wood pile watcher. I check them all out when I drive. I even check all pickups driving by to see if they are hauling firewood and where they are going. I also check up on all tree cutting work anywhere along the road to see if I can ask for the tree. I look at my wood stacks when I walk by them, no need for extra trips.

I am surprised you guys have so much: 10, 15 cords. I hope those are face cords and not full cords. That would be insane (except if your name is Eric J).

I presently have 5 full cords (15 face cords in the back on pallets under 2 tarps). I got another cord in the garage from a cherry tree that my neighbor had cut down 2 weeks ago. I finally split and stacked it. 3 rows of 10 ft wide and about 5 ft high. Should be about a cord dried.

Thanks

Niels

 

[wg_bent]

HI Guys,

I am glad to read I am not the only wood pile watcher. I check them all out when I drive. I even check all pickups driving by to see if they are hauling firewood and where they are going. I also check up on all tree cutting work anywhere along the road to see if I can ask for the tree. I look at my wood stacks when I walk by them, no need for extra trips.

I am surprised you guys have so much: 10, 15 cords. I hope those are face cords and not full cords. That would be insane (except if your name is Eric J).

I presently have 5 full cords (15 face cords in the back on pallets under 2 tarps). I got another cord in the garage from a cherry tree that my neighbor had cut down 2 weeks ago. I finally split and stacked it. 3 rows of 10 ft wide and about 5 ft high. Should be about a cord dried.

Thanks

Niels

well, uuuhhh...Hmm, no 11+ full cords. Eric Johnson is to wood burning as Linus Torvalds is to Open source development...

O.k. EJ is to wood burning as Chip Foos is to back yard auto tuning

EJ is to wood burning as Sam Walton is to aspiring small business owners

o.k. now I'm streaching a bit...

The point is that Eric has a lot of wood, but he also burns a lot...I believe his philosophy of getting a year or two ahead is right on target. I think that at some point I'll have a lean year and so I should be well ahead of where I was last year. where I just barely kept up with the wood and it probably could have been seasoned better.

This year I don't have to split any more, just be warm and cozy and enjoy the stove. I can split and carry at my leasure.

I still need to get that darned oak down in the back yard...That thing is beginning to bug me...probably 3 cords standing in that thing too..

 

[got wood?]

...and who among us walk along the rows sniffing the racks...or maybe that's just me ;-)

 

[tradergordo]

"Every man looks at his woodpile with a kind of affection"
-Henry David Thoreau

 

[adrpga498]

I check on the twin Holz Hausens from the window daily. Glad I don't mess around with tarps and long linier stacks any longer. Saves me alot of space in the yard and looks from friends and neighbors ...priceless. I'm not sure how many new critters I will find in there but will find out soon enough.

 

[BikeMedic2709]

Reading about the HH here today. I think I am going to try it. For the looks, if nothing else!

 

[laynes69]

My wife and I are Chimney watchers. Its always nice to see a chimney with a light wisp of smoke coming from it. Also the smell is nice. I check on my woodpile about 4 to 5 times a week, and I look at it everyday. Its nice to know there are others like me.