Sad or happy for the end of winter?

[ChadMc]

I got to say I love the wood burning lifestyle. I love chainsaws, splitting wood, being outside, hard labor, and drinking a beer in front of the fire. But.....this past weekend we got a taste of spring and it felt damn nice. Next week we’re going up to the 60s. Im going to load up the the garage rack tomorrow for what could be my last time this season! I get bummed thinking about the stove going into its summer slumber. We love the fire pit out back so we switch gears to fires and smores outside for the summer. The stove may start slowing down but I don’t stop looking for wood during the summer. Long days and green grass are on the horizon!

 

[clancey]

Those spring and summer days are ahead and you be glad when you and your family gets back to a different life style for awhile but it's now time to think about all those nice days looking or gathering some wood for next winter. Your from Bucks Country a beautiful area and I am a Philadelphia gal born and raised but left at a younger age. My family had two small houses on the Delaware Bay called Reeds Beach and we spent the whole summer there and by Sept we all got feeling like your feeling knowing we had to get back to the city life again after spending so many wonderful days at the shore...For you its winter vrs the summer and for us it was the summer vrs the winter--one is never happy after keeping to a steady pace at something for awhile but it is now to find and chop so wood for next year...I know your feeling..Enjoy and just hug your family and enjoy...clancey

 

[armanidog]

I have seedlings started in the back room. I'm ready to garden.
Also I'm ready to save the wood I have which means I can cut less firewood to replace it.
And the pear trees are staring to bloom here and my honeybees are getting ready to make honey.

 

[begreen]

I love spring and always welcome it. We're fortunate here that it lasts for months.

 

[wagdog]

It’s only March.

I’ve lit my wood stove in the middle of June in prior years.

I’ll be happy when Spring comes around!

 

[DBoon]

It's been a great winter here for outdoor recreation. We've had consistent snow cover since January, and good cover in December as well. I've probably cross-country skied at least 150 miles so far this year. A bad winter is one filled with rain and temperatures associated with rain. Having said that, since the end of February, precipitation has been mostly ice/sleet/rain, and skiing is not that great anymore. Snow cover is reducing, probably been gone next week. I'll be happy to be outside in some nicer weather and not such a slave to the stove. Looking forward to a mid-day bike ride sometime this week.

The best winter is one that is cold and filled with snow, and ends just as you are getting tired of it. Then maybe once last blast of arctic air and a big snow storm to make you appreciate the spring rains when they begin to arrive with the warmer weather.

 

[ChadMc]

It's been a great winter here for outdoor recreation. We've had consistent snow cover since January, and good cover in December as well. I've probably cross-country skied at least 150 miles so far this year. A bad winter is one filled with rain and temperatures associated with rain. Having said that, since the end of February, precipitation has been mostly ice/sleet/rain, and skiing is not that great anymore. Snow cover is reducing, probably been gone next week. I'll be happy to be outside in some nicer weather and not such a slave to the stove. Looking forward to a mid-day bike ride sometime this week.

The best winter is one that is cold and filled with snow, and ends just as you are getting tired of it. Then maybe once last blast of arctic air and a big snow storm to make you appreciate the spring rains when they begin to arrive with the warmer weather.

We had a great late winter here in PA. I also XC ski a lot. In the last 5 weeks I skied almost every morning with the dog! Now it’s mud out there haha. Need that spring sun to dry it up.

 

[xman23]

I'm with you DBoon. I'm a downhill skier. It wasn't going to be a good year, as out west trips were shutdown. It was a year to do car trips in the east. Discovered some new mountains Canon and Loon in New Hampshire, Mt Snow VT and Hunter NY. When it's over it's over. Save some wood for next year. Fire the motorcycle up and think about wine, cigar music nights on the rear deck. So that said time for winter to go.

 

[kennyp2339]

For us in the MA and NE this week is just the typical spring fever week that normally happens, cold coming back in, not as harsh but certainly at least another 2 to 3wks of wood burning left in the year.

 

[BigJ273]

Don’t count winter out yet. March always packs a late lunch. Having said that, summer is by far my favorite season of the year. Cold beer and crabs with family and friends on a nice summer night- nothing beats it. Not even burning wood.

 

[toddnic]

I must confess that I am looking forward to warmer weather. I am running low on wood (didn't quite have a full 3 cords this year) and the cold temps have made their mark. I know that my family is ready for the windows to be open, our feet in the creek, and leaves on the trees. We are ready for Spring!

 

[ole]

I’m ready. Three motorcycles have been on a trickle charge since November. They need to be pounded.

 

[mpaul]

This is definitely the time of year that Mother Nature starts toying with us. Had overnight lows in low teens this past weekend with highs in the mid 60s projected for the middle of this week. I think we still have six weeks of on and off burning left. I have about 1/2 cord left of the 5 dedicated for the winter., so feeling pretty comfortable there. Definitely looking forward to forward to the spring.

 

[begreen]

It's here, crocuses and daffodils are blooming and the first leaves are starting to show. Buds on the fruit trees are swelling. They're even showing a touch of pink on the peach trees.

 

[WoodBurnerInWI]

Once the snow is mostly melted, I'll be able to accept log drops again and get back to wood prep. Got to stack everything that's waiting to go into the wood shed first. I gather wood and do scrounging year round, really only stopping when the snow gets too deep.

 

[vatmark]

Spring is already here in NC. Had our first bird of spring in our stove this morning. It's always Blue Birds. I was dusting the mantle and heard a chirping. I was hoping he was just sitting on top of the chimney and the sound was just echoing down. I ran outside with binoculars to look if he was up there and then my daughter came out and told me he made his way into the firebox. I had the stove set up for a fire the night before but didn't end up burning so before I could get him out I had to get some of the wood out without letting Mr. bird get into the house. I safely extracted him and sent him on his way. I like spring but not all the pollen it brings with it.

 

[fvhowler]

As much as I like winter, I'm ready for spring. The only season I don't look forward to is summer and by July, I'm ready for fall. Burning for me will end soon, but firewood chores will continue until late spring.

 

[excessads]

I got to say I love the wood burning lifestyle. I love chainsaws, splitting wood, being outside, hard labor, and drinking a beer in front of the fire. But.....this past weekend we got a taste of spring and it felt damn nice. Next week we’re going up to the 60s. Im going to load up the the garage rack tomorrow for what could be my last time this season! I get bummed thinking about the stove going into its summer slumber. We love the fire pit out back so we switch gears to fires and smores outside for the summer. The stove may start slowing down but I don’t stop looking for wood during the summer. Long days and green grass are on the horizon!

Had multiple opportunities move to west coast but decided to stay on east coast as I have close friends here cannot part with, also love the 4 seasons. Like you, I love gathering, C/S not stacking, that's her job. burning wood in our stove. Every once in a while, I would say to her how much we enjoy the heat and flame, extremely soothing for stress relieve. I walked by a neighbor today, he was machine splitting ash and selling them for $7 per pile. If I am out of logs to split, I would have split them for free.

 

[logfarmer]

I’m sad to end the burning season soon, but happy spring is around the corner! Hope to be in the fields in about 6 wks planting.

 

[Poindexter]

The last of the wood I need for next winter should be dropped on my driveway tomorrow afternoon. Then a couple weeks of melt season, a month of mud season and the salmon will start showing up in the rivers.

I will miss my parilla over the summer. Forestry wants me to permit it if I cook in it during fire season but I am about out of fuel for it anyway. Planning to fire up the smoker next weekend, 2 briskets and 2 shoulders. I have zero BBQ left in the freezer, it is going to be a long week.

 

[Matt B]

Winter is mild here in Tucson. It was in the low 80s today. "Cold" here is when the thermometer just flirts with freezing. I joke with friends in the frozen north - it was brutal here too! I had to wear a long-sleeve t-shirt until almost 11AM. Summer is hot, but I am accustomed to that. Before we left east Texas, we had two days of 106 degrees. The official humidity was 80 percent. We lived on a lake, so the humidity was nearer 90 percent. The heat index for 106/90 is 216 degrees. (Look it up!)

But humidity is low here.

What was the question? OH, winter! We have a little cabin at 8000 feet elevation. It gets cold there! Just days ago, I bought a used pellet stove to warm up the place when we use it in the winter. Last time I was there, I ran the electric heaters all night, and it got tolerable near morning. A very unpleasant night.

I like the hot, I like the cold, every day is a good one. I feel like I am so far past my allotted time of life and joy, every day is a blessing.

But I do want to get that pellet stove hooked up and running before the spring. Just once before it gets too hot!

 

[wagdog]

Spring ‘eh?

(Inside temp was next to a window, house is 70!)

 

[firefighterjake]

Mixed feelings . . . I like the return of warmer weather and know that I will soon be riding the ATV on the trails. In terms of burning wood I am usually ready to give it a rest by April or May when we stop burning . . . but then switch over to replenishing the wood in the shed, stacking wood, cutting/splitting wood, etc.

I do miss winter a bit however as it is the time of year when I can slow up a bit in life, relax a bit more . . . and then there is the end of snowmobiling which is always a bit sad.

 

[rwh63]

happy.

 

[brickie]

Here in Southern New England, March can be crazy or should I say WICKED to predict.
There have been some BIG Nor easters in March!
I'm ready for mild!