Who all is done burning til this Fall?

[tarzan]

for the year that is. Sounds crazy but I'm not sure which I enjoy more, the first load of wood going in the stove or the last. Well anyway, there's still some heating left to do but the finish lines in sight.

 

[BurnIt13]

I'm getting there. But its funny...about after month calling it quits and then splitting + stacking wood....I miss burning. I've got at least 2 more months.

 

[JustWood]

Fat lady ain't even close to a tune The 5 big ice cubes to the west are telling me it will be a long cold spring !

 

[jotul8e2]

Our forecast: Today - 60 deg. Monday - 40 deg. Tues - 35 deg. Wed. 35 deg. Thurs. - 35 deg.

I'll be firing up the stove Sunday for at least another week of 24/7 burns.

 

[BCC_Burner]

I have about 2 months of 24/7 burning left and another 4-6 weeks of daily fires after that. I got a new stove and set up this fall, so the novelty hasn't worn off, as I'm just starting to feel like I'm getting the running of it figured out. Already planning ahead for some minor upgrades I want to make to my chimney system and about how I want to incorporate more compressed hardwood fuel into my rotation for next year.

 

[Nick Mystic]

I think most of us here at the forum truly enjoy heating with wood. However, one big determining factor of when that wood burning turns from enjoyment to a chore has to do with our time demands. I'm retired, so my time is my own and logging my property, cutting and stacking wood is hard work, but I get a sense of accomplishment from it knowing I'm saving a lot of money on heat. I also get the benefit the hard physical activity provides me. Now for the folks who are working a full time job, perhaps have kids to raise, then it's likely to detract from their enjoyment when the wood burning activities compete with their other obligations. Well, I've got to go throw another log on the fire, so I better cut this short!

 

[tarzan]

Don't get me wrong, I love wood burning. I think it's more about what it signifies for me. That first load correlates with football season, hunting season, setting by the stove reaping the benefits of your labor and, well, Christmas. After that it's just cold, gloomy winter till that last fire, then. Well you get my point. Lol

 

[KindredSpiritzz]

i threw in the towel 2 weeks ago cept for in hauling a few armloads on the weekends. To much of a hassle to get wood into the house with all the snow and i'd be burning next years wood if i did.

 

[branchburner]

I, too, wouldn't mind burning year round. But the plowing, shoveling, driving in slush, slipping on ice, getting numb fingers, and looking at white, brown and grey as the only colors? Yeah, I'm ready to call it quits.

 

[blades]

It has been and still is here a tough winter. At least another 6 weeks or so, April can be a toss up massive temp swings and unstable weather. Various fuel prices all ticking up as well as commodity items, A fast warm up is going to lead to major flooding due to the quite deep frost line this year. Sump pump was kicking on last night after 24 hrs of mostly rain now headed for a deep freeze all next week. So in this area we will be covered by a what amounts a small glacier.

 

[Nick Mystic]

I get where you're coming from tarzan. I feel the same way about snow. In western NC we used to get snow every winter (I'm told by people who grew up here) and now we often go for several years in a row and never see any snow. This year we got lucky and had snow twice, which a lot of people in the country would probably say, "That's just about the right amount!"
Personally, I enjoy getting snow most when it arrives early in the season - say December or January. When it comes early I feel there is the chance it will hang around for a time and not melt away in a few days like it did for the snow we got last week. When it snows late - end of February or in March I don't really enjoy the snow very much because I know winter is basically over and it is the anticipation you mention of good things yet to come just isn't there any more.

As for how much burning yet to come this year I can tell you that last year at this time I had not yet installed my new wood stove. I got it up and running right at the end of February and I ended up burning probably a cord of wood in it before I shut it down for the season! We had a very cold spring last year and we were still lighting fires in May! I don't want that much more winter this year, but I won't mind another month or six weeks of additional burning. I've already begun refilling my storage areas, so that helps ease my mind knowing the old wood pile is getting back to where I want it for the coming years.

 

[blazincajun]

Using heat pump now. After this last ice storm thought it would be prudent to save my last dry wood for emergencies. Every waking free moment though is filled with actually CSS or dreaming about it. Those free waking moments of course are balanced by my teenage daughter's needs and my wife's as well. I have tenants needs also to care for. My needs are to CSS firewood - such a simpleton. Is there any other world out there for us?

 

[tarzan]

Still got my glass half full hoping March comes in like a lion, out like a lamb.

For you folks up north......sorry!

 

[Bobbin]

Winter arrives every year. No amount of grousing is going to change anything. But we get weary about this time every year, too. Presently, cold, grey, and raining steadily on about 10" on new snow, which is on top of about the same amount that hasn't had a chance to really melt. Rooves are beginning to collapse under the increased loads and our "stash" is running lower than we've seen it over 20 yrs.. We re-roofed the house last summer and added covers to the gutters (tall buildings and the work/danger of cleaning out leaves/pine needles periodically)... more ice than before? or just a "tough" winter? dunno.

It was nice to light a fire when the temperature hit 63 in the living room, though!

 

[Jags]

I was ready to be done about Jan. 2nd.

 

[Dakotas Dad]

I am tired of the huge amount of snow and ice, but I am not tired of burning.

 

[weatherguy]

I hear people saying they're tapping into next year's wood or don't want to tap into next years wood. When you get 3 years ahead you should take what you would burn in a real cold year times 3. I really don't have next years wood or the year after, I just have a big pile that I burn until it gets warm, then I replace what I burned for future years.

 

[Adamkyr]

Im ready to end it for the year - used up all my planned wood - scrounging for anything I can find - cutting up pallets, trying to dig stuff out of 3 feet of snow - I am ready for spring

 

[Nick Mystic]

Same here. I keep about nine cords of wood worked up with the idea that I have roughly a three year supply of wood. However, none of the wood is designated specifically for a particular year. I just start burning the oldest wood first and proceed down the line with newer wood until the burning season draws to a close, whenever that might be. Three year oak is likely to be drier than two year oak, but I haven't had any trouble burning two year old oak like I would if I was burning one year old oak. I'd like to add another storage bay to my wood storage area, but my wife say's, "Enough already!" I had some extra wood processed last spring and had to cover it with a tarp at the end of my covered wood storage area. Since the tarp doesn't look very attractive and I nearly got bit twice by copperheads taking the cover on and off during the summer to speed up drying, she might go along with one more bay this year!

 

[begreen]

With overnight temps in the mid to high 30s we are still burning 24/7. But with 2 tall rows of hardwood and one of softwood left for this season, the end is in sight.

 

[mass_burner]

i'm looking to use all pellet cages this year for shoulder season. 3-4 hours in the morning; 3-4 hours at night. but that's a way off. i better stock up on pellets, will need at least 10-20 bags.

BTW, still have 1/4 tank of oil, that's about 45 gals out the 200 I bought in early November.

 

[lopiliberty]

I'm ready to be done but mother nature says no way. I like snow but it has put a damper on wood cutting. Where we cut its drifted 4 to 5 ft so it might be april before we get started

 

[weatherguy]

Same here. I keep about nine cords of wood worked up with the idea that I have roughly a three year supply of wood. However, none of the wood is designated specifically for a particular year. I just start burning the oldest wood first and proceed down the line with newer wood until the burning season draws to a close, whenever that might be. Three year oak is likely to be drier than two year oak, but I haven't had any trouble burning two year old oak like I would if I was burning one year old oak. I'd like to add another storage bay to my wood storage area, but my wife say's, "Enough already!" I had some extra wood processed last spring and had to cover it with a tarp at the end of my covered wood storage area. Since the tarp doesn't look very attractive and I nearly got bit twice by copperheads taking the cover on and off during the summer to speed up drying, she might go along with one more bay this year!

Copperheads? Do they get in the wood shed too? I thought it was bad here with ticks.
If you dig into the wood that was planned on being used next year all you have to do is restock more in the spring, if you need it for the following winter just try and get ash, maple and other quicker drying woods.

 

[Bobbin]

Snakes love wood stacks! warm, secure, and where there is stacked wood there are mice... McDonald's for our reptilian friends. We have some handsome Milk Snakes, pushin' 3' in and around our wood stacks. And a few large black ones that hang out in and around the compost pile and the "burn pile". I know they're there, but I still squeal and dance when one catches me by surprise. (they creep me out, but I think snakes are pretty cool and laugh at myself when I get "all stupid")

 

[bluedogz]

Snakes love wood stacks! warm, secure, and where there is stacked wood there are mice... McDonald's for our reptilian friends. We have some handsome Milk Snakes, pushin' 3' in and around our wood stacks. And a few large black ones that hang out in and around the compost pile and the "burn pile". I know they're there, but I still squeal and dance when one catches me by surprise. (they creep me out, but I think snakes are pretty cool and laugh at myself when I get "all stupid")

'Round here I get big black garter snakes... they must like them mice.