Some nice wood from down the street
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My latest wood find is in a nearby utility line right of way, there must be a hundred or so pieces of oak scattered around from two inches to around 6 inch diameter. Most will fit in my large trunk. Every weekend I stop by at least twice and grab a few pieces. I walk through those woods anyway so I’m not really going out of my way to get it. It takes about 5 minutes to walk it back to my car. It’s been sitting there for at least a year. I figure by spring I should have most of it out of there and cut up by May.
Each dryer load is supposedly $0.75 - it adds up.
We try to keep lights off but have switched to all LED - some are dirt cheap due to subsidies right now. We knocked 15 to 20 bucks off the light bill by switching the ones that are on a lot of the time.
A new same size fridge would save $5 a month but I think I'll squeeze some more life out of this one.
Other side of the state. I used to routinely be out your way though. Once on the way during a workday I stopped at a wood stove place in Newtown to buy a thermometer. Don't recall the name but it was nice not having to order by mail.
Cool the '94 Chevy is still being driven. Next season I'll try to grow more tomatoes than I really need, will freeze the excess. The growing season here is somewhat short. I did bring a cherry tomato plant in the house in October, not a lot to it but nice still having ripe native tomatoes. Growing lettuce indoors too, I think the seeds were 20 or 25 cents at a dollar store. I like the moral of your story, you don't need big bucks to be happy.
Since I'm home I've been going through a lot of wood. I may use a kerosene heater for the living room as I have before. Will set the furnace to its usual winter setting finally for the first time this season in a few days.Toward the weekend overnight temps may go to the upper teens, then a concern for pipes freezing.
Thanks - I may finally get some good sized logs from my neighbor that he'd like to get rid of for over 15 years. I wish I was closer to woods. Took the insurance off the truck for now but I'm fine putting pieces that will fit in my SUV that are available for taking
and on a totally different note about wood from down the street, the other day, I literally rolled a piece that was too big for me to lift into my truck down the street to the splitter
I was thinking of doing that if I couldn't get help! The wood was about 7 houses away so not out of the question - but to my house there's an incline. I have a heavy duty hand truck, not a appliance moving caliber but it can be set up sort of like a cart. Was thinking of one getting the flat part underneath
the wood and tilting it, then convert it to the cart configuration. May need to that with my neighbor's large logs across the street.
my parents are on the coast by the CT river, and they have a pretty short season. they had pretty good luck with eggplants, radishes, carrots, lettuce and spinach. My spinach and kale grows all year, and its easy to grow!
Same here, I think the conversations and lifestyles are affiliated with why we own wood stoves in the first place. Not to say it's good to hear others have or are going through tough times, but it's reassuring many have been there, done that - and I respect the determination an ingenuity, and of course support.
I'm in the same state, therefore same season. It's really nice where your parents are.
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I wondered what a typical dryer load cost. I've installed switches on TVs and the audio system to totally disconnect AC power when off. Put in the manual (no timer) coffee maker for now. When I go back to work, better put the one with the auto-turn off timer. Don't know if I trust myself! I don't know if disconnecting the transformers from AC power when off will make much of a difference, but I had the switches and/or power strips on hand so I thought I'd use them.
DoubleB
Minister of Fire
I admit that I'd be tempted to use the truck even without insurance if your scrounge is just down the street. I don't know what your neighborhood is like, but I wouldn't sweat that around here.
It probably would have been fine, my street is a cul-de-sac. Fortunately got all the wood. I kept comprehensive insurance on the truck. Of course some minimal cost, but well worth not having to go to the DMV to re-register it in this state. After the software 'upgrade', the DMV has been a headline in the news several times in the last year because of outrageous wait times and other situations.
Kinda thought it was the 5.9 diesel! It's amazing how the Rams with those engine hold their value. That, and another straight 6 - the 4.9 L Ford, were great engines. I had the 4.9 in a Ford Club Wagon, with a 4 speed manual transmission, talk about rare! Yes things change, I'm fine with doing something different as long as I make ends meet.
Just got done splitting some wood from a neighbor's yard. I have one of those 10-ton manual hydraulic splitters, its OK but way more time consuming.
Lately just swinging the maul and other associated splitters. It's good for odd shaped pieces, and ironically sometimes smaller ones that I miss when swinging.
I hope I don't have to sell my truck. It was a great deal IMO for $5000, a 2001 Silverado 4x4 with the 4.8 V8, but 'only' 180k. It's an extended cab, now I wish I got a regular cab with an 8' bed, but doubt I'd ever make the change because it runs great. The other big benefit I lost was a company vehicle, and more minor a cellphone. I hope the '96 Dodge continues to serve you well. Nice having 2 stoves, and nice to reward yourself from all that OT!
I've been drying some clothes on the basement clothesline (actually 4-pair cat-3 cable) and last night strung 2 short ones in the front entrance area. Tied one end inside the closet, ran between the door and the jamb. Other ends tied to an existing coat rack, so no visual screws. Those will get some heat from the stove. Will be interesting to try them out & see how long things take to dry.
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Looked like a dry cleaners up in this joint today. I've been out of work due to injury for several weeks. Can't lift anything heavy but I sure can hang clothes all around the stove to dry lol.
Wow sorry to hear about that. Hope you recover soon. An injury like that sure affects what we on this forum do. I'm fortunate that I haven't had major back trouble like I used to. Years ago I'd be fine lifting a heavy log, but if I picked a dime off the floor and moved a certain way - boy would I be in trouble for a few days.
Thank you for the kind words! I ironically had a "saftey" gate break my c7 vertebrae in my neck as well as tear the rotator cuff in my right shoulder. Needless to say a revision to that design is being made lol. I can't wait to get back to work even still and most of all chop some wood! Whenever you think you have it bad someone out there has it worse. Happy warm and no complaints outta me!
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