This sounded like a very good way for us to get some small wood for starting our fires during the wood heating season.
We start fires by placing kindling over a few pieces of crumpled paper, then adding some pieces of small soft wood (the slabwood will fill this bill) before adding a log or two of hard wood which holds a fire for a long time.
The kindling we have . . .
. . . and the big wood shed full of hard wood.
But we were lacking small soft wood that would catch fire easily and burn quickly to make a bed of hot coals for the hard wood.
Now we have it!
We took our truck and flatbed trailer which measures 8' wide x 14' long to the sawmill and piled it high with the available slabwood.
Now if the Magic Firewood Fairy would just come tonight, unload the slabs, cut them up and stack them neatly in our small wood shed, life would be good.
What am I saying? Life is good. Hubby and I took a lovely drive through the fall colors to the sawmill, spent the couple of hours it took us to load (yes, every single piece by hand) in the beautiful, fresh, cool air while at the same time chatting away and getting some really good exercise. Not a bad way to spend a few hours on a gorgeous autumn day.
25 comments:
Slab wood is popular around here, too. We still have to order some firewood for this winter. You are making me think we need to get going on this! Your pile of kindling is great... honestly, nothing like ready to use kindling! -Jenn
That is a lot of kindling! You and Papa Pea keep your fitness just by keeping so active. I wish we had wood burning fireplace. We had one when we were kids and loved it. Now we just have a gas fireplace and those two lame flames don't really impress me so we never turn it on.
Jenn - I suffer a bit of OCD when it comes to kindling, I'm afraid. Going into the heating season without a good supply of it high and dry makes me very anxious!
Sparkless - I wish the kindling bin were full to the tippy-top but even though it's not, that will be enough for the upcoming heating season.
I know if I didn't stay active, I would get out of shape really fast. I like to eat much too much!
Firewood is a year round activity here, although its an activity that get rammped up this time of year, nice haul you have :-)
We build our fires the same way. Right now all our firewood is still in rounds or split in piles under tarps, waiting to be stacked in our shed!
I just love you and your pioneering spirit and attitude! I would feel mighty good about having all that needed kindling, too.
Dawn - Hubby and I have vowed to work on wood all through this winter. We have plenty of wood for this coming heating season, but another year's back-up makes us feel better. If we can go into this coming spring with another year's supply, putzing with more wood during the summer will just be icing on the cake. You are so right . . . firewood is a year round activity!
Michelle - Although stacking is the "easiest" of wood working tasks, it seems to take soooo long, doesn't it? We all need a wood stacking party to make the job go faster . . . and more fun!
Laurie - Thanks you, ma'am! My dear ol' grandpa would never convert his wood burning furnace in the basement because he said if heating oil or gas became unavailable, he could always keep his family warm by burning wood. We kinda sorta feel that way, too.
Great find on the slab wood. You can just cut it to length in your spare (ha) time.
I get my kindle.from the offcuts from my work as a carpenter. Shed full this year! Doesn't normally happen like this, normally still short!
Just makes us wonder what you two REALLY do for fun an recreation... :)
Glenda - We debated tossing it off the trailer into a pile and cutting it from there, but that would be extra handling and not be the impetus we need to get it done (off the trailer) sooner rather than later. (Oh, the games we have to play with ourselves!)
Kev - Aha, another advantage (other than being extremely handy!) of being a carpenter! Enjoy this year's bounty.
Susan - To a large extent, being able to live the life we want, right here on this little ol' homestead everyday, is our recreation. Of course, "getting away" now and then is good, too, but something we've put on the back burner for the past several months.
This was our first year of getting a wood pile cut and sorted out, and you are right....it is a year long project because already we are feeling the need to get next years wood sorted out!
Nice to have a day out with the husband, enjoying the activities of living the 'good life' together!
Life is good.
If I lived close by, I would love to join your fun activity.
Vera - Not that we mind the wood working, but it seems it's a never ending project! If we'd just stop burning up the stuff . . . ;o}
DDD - All who enjoy this type life are welcome! :o]
What a nice find! We are so behind in splitting wood. Looks like a nice way to spend time with each other too.
We cut ours as it comes off the trailer....most of the time. Now and then we have to use the trailer before all the wood is cut up. We get ours from an Amish sawmill a mile from us. I do enjoy splitting wood and since Ralph got me a nice axe last fall I don't have to use his favorite axe..a horrible double bitted!
Kristina - Behind on work working? Do we EVER get ahead? Oh well, we'll all do what we can do . . . and it will all work out.
Fiona - Oh, that double-bitted axe would give me the heebie-jeebies, too! I also love to split wood by hand, but admit I don't do much of it anymore now that we have the mechanical wood splitter. I like doing it that way, too.
Should have been "wood working" above, not "work working." I'm in for a break from wood working . . . and maybe it is work, but it's work I like to do!
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