Tuesday, October 1, 2019

Did You Think I'd Forgotten How To Type?

It's been over a week since I've made a post here.  Why?  Too darn busy.  Rainy days (of which there have been too many) give us the chance to start catching up on all the inside things we have let slide during the summer.  Plus, there's still some canning and preserving from the garden going on.  Days when we can be outside, we're like squirrels skittering around from one project to another.


With our good neighbor's permission and encouragement, we've worked on cutting an opening through our woods to his land next door so that we have some place to push and pile the snow removed from our back yard area.  On a heavy snow year, we quickly run out of room to push the snow so we're hoping this will be a big improvement and time-saver.


This involved taking out a few trees, nothing big, but of course there were lots of branches and debris we had to pile into the pick-up truck and make a couple of trips back up to the ridge where we have a designated dump spot (in the ravine on the other side of the ridge) that we and our good neighbor share.



This is a view from the other angle with only the stumps to be grubbed out and logs we can use for fire wood moved.  That's now been accomplished and the way is clear.

One other job needing to be done before the snow flies is to finish cutting, splitting and stacking all the wood still in our back wood working area.  (And there's a lot of it!)  The spot is low and with all our recent moisture, it's been difficult to work there.  But it's another location where we pile snow in the winter months so the wood needs to be worked up and moved before then.


Our good neighbor had six huge trees he took down for a client's building site and asked us if we wanted the trees for fire wood.  Of course, we did, so Papa Pea spent a couple of days cutting them up into stove size lengths and then we (with our daughter's willing help) hauled them to the wood working area with our tractor and bucket.  The pieces in the foreground are so big Papa Pea will have to split them up a bit with a splitting maul before we can comfortably lift them up onto our splitter.

Our wood supply is abundant and we've now got an ample supply for about two heating seasons and, boy howdy, do we feel good about that! 

Another big project that was accomplished last week was installing the new (used) wood stove we got for the enclosed workshop part of the garage.  It's going to be a great stove for our purposes (it will even heat our water when that phase has been accomplished) but it weighs in at around 500 pounds so you can imagine the chore it was getting it in and installed.  Those pictures will have to wait for another post as this one is already too long.  (Am I even capable of writing a short post?)

17 comments:

wisps of words said...

She lives!!!!!!!

>,-))))

And per usual, she makes me tired out, with all her activity!!!

But! What else is new!

Lot's of necessary stuff done, in your neck of the woods. Excellent. And good-tired-making too! You really rest well, after those busy, busy days. :-)



Mama Pea said...

wisps of words - I think we always kid ourselves by thinking the summer months are the busiest months. In reality, it's the fall ones because it's tying up all the loose ends we've created in the summer! ;o) And the fall months (at least up here near the Arctic Circle!) are always waaaay too short. Only mid-40s forecast for tomorrow. Can snowflakes be far behind??

Michelle said...

Not too long at all! Lots of references to the "good neighbor." Methinks there may be "less-good neighbors;" heh.

Mama Pea said...

Michelle - No, we're very lucky in the folks we have living in our proximity. "Good neighbor" is just the name I've given to our closest one instead of calling him Pete or George or Fred . . . none of which is his first name! And, for sure, he and his wife are, indeed, good neighbors. We really are so fortunate to have found property that abutts theirs.

Leigh said...

What a nice neighbor you have! Hopefully, you'll get all of your winter prep done in a timely manner. Never can tell about snow!

Goatldi said...

Good work and good neighbor!

It logged in at 39 this morning at 7 AM. I have quickly learned that our lowest temperature arrives just as the sun rises over the eastern Sierras.

If I hadn’t planned a day in the nearest town on the valley floor the wood stove would have been 🔥

Maybe next time!

Leanna said...

It's wonderful to have you back in the blogosphere. Autumn is always the busiest time of year. All the cleanup and prep time before the first snow and the icy cold sets in.

coffeeontheporchwithme said...

Isn't there just a sense of pioneer satisfaction when you look at a big wood pile? You think, "bring it on!". Great that you got all that for "free" although I'm sure the work involved cutting it all up, piling it, etc. made up for the lack of having to pay for it. Was it just you and husband moving that stove??? -Jenn

Pioneer Woman at Heart said...

I've been wondering what you've been up to. Looks like you are very well prepared when the snow flies. I hope we get out to cut wood soon. It's been tough to keep up on things this year.

Pearl Alabama said...
This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
wisps of words said...

Why do I come to comment, when there is a WEIRD comment, for me to alert you to??!!??

Well, there is one.

wisps of words said...

Came by again, to thank you, for commenting on my blog yesterday. Nice discussion going on, in that blog post comments.

Very grateful to those who bothered to comment!

So far (Wed. morning) that entry had 79 Views. But naturally, no where near that many comments left.

Can you imagine the discussion, if many more, had commented? -sigh-

🍂🍁🍂

Lynne said...

Don't know how you two do it , but you are a great team together and that's what makes it all possible! You must feel like wonder woman and superman! your both special people, trying to survive and be self suffient. ox

The Wykeham Observer said...

Those are big chunks to get split, but I'm sure you have a tried and true method. I'm sure it's nice to get it when the gettings good.

Cockeyed Jo said...

We've got the chain but no wood splitter yet. Still splitting with a maul and we're getting long in the tooth for it.

Rain said...

Hi Mama Pea :) That was really nice of your neighbour. We run out of room for the snow every year. Makes it very hard to shovel. Good luck preparing all of that wood, it's a big job! I'm envious of your wood stove!!

wyomingheart said...

Amen, Mama Pea!!! We did think we had a busy summer... squirrels you say?... Squirrels indeed!!! This fall is bustin our butts! ... Lol!