Winter 2023-24

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Here in New England we are feeling like spring is finally over... Supposed to be in the 90s this week
Michigan is hitting mid 90's next week. Hoping for an "Indian Summer" so I can get some additional projects wrapped up before the white season hits. :confused:
 
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90s here too. Supposed to rain on Monday night so going to be covering the seasons wood Sunday evening. Giving it the final end of year bake.
 
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I pulled apart my stove last weekend. I normally don't have my first fire until around October 10th. Im working on it here and there. Probably start putting it back together next weekend. I woke up this morning and painted it.. the 1st and 2nd photo is last weekend. the 3rd and 4th is the paint job this morning... looks brand new

[Hearth.com] Winter 2023-24 [Hearth.com] Winter 2023-24 [Hearth.com] Winter 2023-24 [Hearth.com] Winter 2023-24
 
Still about 2.5 months away from my first burn. In the meantime, will clean the stove pipe and replace some stove gasket and I will be set.
 
I need to get the woodshed stocked, but I'm a few years to the good with respect to dry wood. This year will be my last hemlock year for some time. After that, and for the rest of time in all likelihood, my stove and MH heater will eat mostly beech. I really can't wait to get into heating season. I have piles of chicken bones in my freezer waiting to be turned into stock. Still 6 or so weeks until a spark one though and more than that until I'm really burning wood!
 
I need to get the woodshed stocked, but I'm a few years to the good with respect to dry wood. This year will be my last hemlock year for some time. After that, and for the rest of time in all likelihood, my stove and MH heater will eat mostly beech. I really can't wait to get into heating season. I have piles of chicken bones in my freezer waiting to be turned into stock. Still 6 or so weeks until a spark one though and more than that until I'm really burning wood!
Still about 2.5 months away from my first burn. In the meantime, will clean the stove pipe and replace some stove gasket and I will be set.

We decided to try running our meat birds in fall this year. So we will have a ton of chicken bones here in about 8 or 9 weeks. Trying to brood them when its warmer out so we dont have to waste a ton of electricity and get them in the tractor asap.
Here we could be 2 months away from firing up, maybe longer maybe sooner but normally by Halloween we have already fired up a few times.
 
I normally keep my wood sheds all full. I have 17 one-cord bays, and usually refill each with fresh splits immediately after emptying it. The real goal is to make sure they're all filled in the spring, to get that extra summer of drying on the fresh splits, since wood really does most of its drying in summer.

But this year I spent the summer working on another large project, which is just wrapping up now. I have 1.5 bays empty, which has been bothering, esp. since I have at least a dozen cords (likely more) in logs stacked and rotting. Hoping to get on that as soon as this week's heat wave has passed, yellowjackets be damned!

Our first fire sometimes comes as early as Oct.1, but just as often as late as Oct.31. One way or another, the first fire is always sometime in October. We usually start overnight fires as soon as we have evening lows near 40F.
 
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It was 96 here today. Thinking about a hot fire is making queasy as I start hour #2 at the soccer field. 97 tomorrow……
 
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I'm hoping for a late start, I'm all set to go, but this summer flew by and I'm looking forward to a fun fall (mild hopefully) but inevitably we will have that one rainy weekend in October when the temps dont get out of the 40's and I will lite the beast up.
 
Jut cleaned out the chimney yesterday after work so I’m ready to rock and roll as soon as burning weather comes in. New wood shed is up and filled with wood that’s been seasoning outside for 2 years. 6 cords full. Time to fill up the stacks I emptied from to fill the woodshed up.
 
Yep time to start moving the stacks inside before the inevitable rainy fall seaon begins. For me means horizontal rain, top covers don't do much for that other than getting blown off. Crops all get harvested which leaves everything wide open, wind just howls through.
 
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I'm hoping for a late start, I'm all set to go, but this summer flew by and I'm looking forward to a fun fall (mild hopefully) but inevitably we will have that one rainy weekend in October when the temps dont get out of the 40's and I will lite the beast up.
It was 91F yesterday, and today is shaping up nearly the same. My wood stoves are still hiding behind closed fireplace doors, I haven’t seen them since June. I’ll be swimming and sailing a lot more than lighting fires, for at least another month!
 
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was apx 86 today / Thur high is predicted at 68F
 
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We've test-fired both stoves over the past couple of weeks. Between the 90+ degree days we had a few cool patches. The Isle Royale got relocated to the new basement and the Pioneer III in the new living room has main-level duty. I'm excited with the ACC and thermostat on the Pioneer III especially. Bring on the cold and snow (eventually).
 
Certain years we've started burning on Sept. 15 & others Sept. 25, this year I would like the shoulder season to start on Oct. 1 or after.

The cooler days with even cooler mornings this week almost had me bringing in some pine but we used the propane fireplace this morning.

It looks like we have warmer weather coming in for this area so that Oct. 1 or after could happen.
 
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Its 53 degrees outside right now.. all the windows jave been open in the house since Thursday. Its 64 degrees in my bedroom. This is such a refreshing change in the weather. Im.so glad were moving towards fall weather. I started putting the stove back together.. Ill probably have it done by next weekend.. maybe.. Im not rushing it.. Im trying to enjoy the process..
 
Last fall I fired the boiler up on the 20th to make sure everything worked as.it was the first season with it all installed. I kept feeding the beast since it was already going and used 0 gallons of LP last heating season.

This winter I plan to burn LP until it gets cold enough to have to start the boiler so it doesn't freeze, or after we're done with fall harvest so I don't have to worry about the stove along with every thing else. That way the house furnace and house and shop boilers get a chance to run to make sure everything still works just in case the stove has an issue.

I've amassed quite the pile in front of the stove already and hope I have enough wood there already. Last year I think it ate 20+ cord but I burned for 6 weeks longer than I will this year. We shall see !!
 
Fired the stove up 3 times in the last week & 1/2, just enough to chase chill & damp out , about Wed. temps are going to climb back to the 80's for a bit. Been in the mid 40's in the morning to mi 60's mid afternoon. Don't remember firing it quite this early, just do not want to turn on the propane unit.