# The leaves aren't falling yet....



## Mrs. Krabappel (Aug 19, 2012)

but the stoves and accessories are stocked at Lowe's.

Time to dust of the the Hearth Gods,
	

	
	
		
		

		
			





 I mean Hearth Mods. 'Tis the season!

As for me, I'm probably more prepared than any other winter, though I've come to the conclusion that I might save time AND money by having wood delivered c/s/s.


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## fishingpol (Aug 19, 2012)

Waning days of summer.   Pictures from Parker River NWR last week.  Not too many of these warm sunsets left this summer.





Sandpipers getting the feed on for migration soon.






Stores have Halloween candy out already.


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## BrotherBart (Aug 19, 2012)

~*~Kathleen~*~ said:


> As for me, I'm probably more prepared than any other winter, though I've come to the conclusion that I might save time AND money by having wood delivered c/s/s.


 
I decided that last year. Not for cost reasons, just for pain avoidance. Then my neighbor calls and says he had a bunch of big trees dropped in his yard and didn't have them buck them and haul them off because he knew I wanted the wood.

Groan.

I will be happy to wait many more weeks before I offer up a Super Cedar to the Fire Gods.


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## Beetle-Kill (Aug 19, 2012)

The exercise has a value to it also. My father (79) and his neighbor (84ish)  cut , split, and deliver about 20 cord a year. Neither needs the money, they do it for fun.
Inspirational couple of old farts.


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## joescho (Aug 19, 2012)

BrotherBart said:


> I decided that last year. Not for cost reasons, just for pain avoidance. Then my neighbor calls and says he had a bunch of big trees dropped in his yard and didn't have them buck them and haul them off because he knew I wanted the wood.
> 
> Groan.
> 
> I will be happy to wait many more weeks before I offer up a Super Cedar to the Fire Gods.


 
Uggh.

My back hurts just thinking about that.  Please tell me you did not do it on a 80 or 90 degree day.  I'll have heat stroke for you right now....


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## Blue Vomit (Aug 19, 2012)

I love the fall but dread raking, blowing, and picking up the leaves. Easily my least favorite chore.


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## BrowningBAR (Aug 19, 2012)

~*~Kathleen~*~ said:


> but the stoves and accessories are stocked at Lowe's.
> 
> Time to dust of the the Hearth Gods,
> 
> ...



I've already done the math; cut, split, delivered makes more sense to me. Both, financially and time saving.


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## Shadow&Flame (Aug 19, 2012)

I am ready...been too damn hot and dry here.

I do a little bit of both on the wood front.  There is a guy that will deliver wood much cheaper than what I would dream of charging for it...so I buy at least
a cord every year from him.  I do scrounge when I get the chance, but its better to have too much than not enough...I tend to give away alot of what I scrounge anyway.  Gotta keep my older neighbors and relatives warm ya know.


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## begreen (Aug 19, 2012)

~*~Kathleen~*~ said:


> but the stoves and accessories are stocked at Lowe's.
> 
> Time to dust of the the Hearth Gods,
> 
> ...


 
That'll work, but have them deliver in April.


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## PapaDave (Aug 19, 2012)

It's crossed my mind as well.
Went out back mid-afternoon to cut up the oak posts and stringers I pulled up a few days ago.
One hour later and all I got done was about 16 small logs. Jeesh.
I'll keep at it, but perhaps supplement with c/s/d next year.
Every time I go outside, I see all the trees that need to come down, and just shake my head.
Oh, and our lone birch started dropping leaves a couple weeks ago.


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## dafattkidd (Aug 19, 2012)

Shadow&Flame said:


> I am ready...been too damn hot and dry here.
> 
> I do a little bit of both on the wood front. There is a guy that will deliver wood much cheaper than what I would dream of charging for it...so I buy at least
> a cord every year from him. I do scrounge when I get the chance, but its better to have too much than not enough...I tend to give away alot of what I scrounge anyway. Gotta keep my older neighbors and relatives warm ya know.


 
This is about what I've been doing the past two years.  I found a guy who delivers wood for so cheap I can't justify spending so much time scrounging as I've done in years past.  I still scrounge a couple cords a year, but buying two cords this year to burn next year seems to work well for me, and takes the pressure off my scrounge demands.  However, I scored a jackpot scrounge at work recently and don't think I'll need to buy wood in the spring.


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## BrotherBart (Aug 19, 2012)

begreen said:


> That'll work, but have them deliver in April.


 
I plan on buying the greenist stuff around as cheaply as possible. Since three years are on the stacks. And the rest of this stuff from the neighbor will do year four. I think a delivery might have time to dry.

These days I just hope I am around to burn the stuff.


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## Mrs. Krabappel (Aug 19, 2012)

I've had a lot of wood that has needed splitting forever. I figured it would get done this summer. It was happening too slowly, so I rented a splitter. A friend was up from Atlanta on "vacation." She and the kid ran the splitter. For an entire weekend. I was cutting up some trees the neighbor had dropped. All the wood was scrounged.

The costs:
splitter rental
gas for splitter and saw
new chain plus sharpened chain.
advil
advil
advil
take out food because nobody stopped to cook

Intangible costs:
several wasp stings
wear and tear on our bodies
running too close to a due date on a big assignment for school
no day at the lake
possibly losing a great friendship (nah, she's coming up next weekend to rehab the kitchen. At least I hope she is.)

I love to cut and split, but the truth is I have so little time it just ends up stressing me out all the time that I am way behind.] I don't think I saved much money over buying it.
Plus nobody is allowed to go to the hospital, because my emergency room costs are worth 2-3 cords of wood.


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## BrotherBart (Aug 19, 2012)

~*~Kathleen~*~ said:


> Plus nobody is allowed to go to the hospital, because my emergency room costs are worth 2-3 cords of wood.


 
Yep. The year I chainsawed my leg in the 80's wood was a hundred a cord split and delivered. ER cost to sew me up was $300.25. Not to mention the cost of the pair of jeans. Three cord does the winter nicely.

Buy it. That way that new saw stays nice and clean for a long time. But drain the fuel out of it and fire it up and run it dry. I don't think you need the macho creds Teach. You slept in the woods. Most here ain't done that.


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## Mrs. Krabappel (Aug 19, 2012)

BrotherBart said:


> . I don't think you need the macho creds Teach.


 
I told myself that _after_ I went on "Bombs Away" at the Cali water park. The floor just drops out from under you and you free fall.



I have some trees around the place I need to clean up, plus a couple more trees at the neighbors, so the saw will still be busy. I think I'll buy a couple of years worth just to get ahead, then continue to scrounge really easy access stuff.


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## Ashful (Aug 20, 2012)

Blue Vomit said:


> I love the fall but dread raking, blowing, and picking up the leaves. Easily my least favorite chore.


 
I love raking _leaves_. You would too, if your property had 40 walnut trees! Have you ever tried to rake up 100,000 walnuts?



BrowningBAR said:


> I've already done the math; cut, split, delivered makes more sense to me. Both, financially and time saving.


 
Definitely... but I enjoy the excercise and time outdoors.


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## firefighterjake (Aug 20, 2012)

Joful said:


> I love raking _leaves_. You would too, if your property had 40 walnut trees! Have you ever tried to rake up 100,000 walnuts?
> 
> 
> 
> Definitely... but I enjoy the excercise and time outdoors.


 
I've always had a question . . . and it's probably a dumb one . . . can you eat the walnuts?

I mean up here the apple trees I have on my property grow apples, but since I don't prune them or spray them they're not very good looking . . . although in some years I get a bunch and use them to make apple crisp. I was wondering if it was the same way with walnut trees -- do the walnuts look like the ones you see in the stores or if not treated, pruned, etc. you don't end up with a nut that looks or tastes very good?


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## Ashful (Aug 20, 2012)

firefighterjake said:


> I've always had a question . . . and it's probably a dumb one . . . can you eat the walnuts?


 
Well, the walnuts have a husk on them, which makes them the size of a large plum or a crab-apple when they fall. This husk is very tough, and must be removed before the walnut begins to rot. So, you could eat them, but you'd have to gather them up, remove the husks, and then dry the nut inside. If you let the husk begin to rot, it produces a dark colored oil which is used for making dark furniture stains. If you get that stuff on you (or on your boots, and then your carpet... DAMHIKT), you will never get it off.

I've been toying with the idea of buying and modifying a golf ball collector from a local driving range, for the express purpose of picking up walnuts. Maybe then I could entertain selling them.


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## firefighterjake (Aug 20, 2012)

Joful said:


> Well, the walnuts have a husk on them, which makes them the size of a large plum or a crab-apple when they fall. This husk is very tough, and must be removed before the walnut begins to rot. So, you could eat them, but you'd have to gather them up, remove the husks, and then dry the nut inside. If you let the husk begin to rot, it produces a dark colored oil which is used for making dark furniture stains. If you get that stuff on you (or on your boots, and then your carpet... DAMHIKT), you will never get it off.
> 
> I've been toying with the idea of buying and modifying a golf ball collector from a local driving range, for the express purpose of picking up walnuts. Maybe then I could entertain selling them.


 
Thanks . . . may have seemed like a simple question, but not having walnut trees up this way, I didn't know.


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## Jags (Aug 20, 2012)

Jake - old timers used to take the green husked walnuts and throw them on the driveway.  After a week or two of driving over them the husks would peel pretty easy.  Then they would take the nuts out to the shop and run them through the vise to get them to crack.  Then ya gotta talk somebody into making bread or cookies. (if they are black walnuts, you will only want to use about 1/4 the amount called for because of the intense flavor.  Sounds like fun doesn't it?

I love fall - I just don't like what comes after that.


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## Backwoods Savage (Aug 20, 2012)

Blue Vomit said:


> I love the fall but dread raking, blowing, and picking up the leaves. Easily my least favorite chore.


 
I love the fall. We live in the woods and have lots of leaves. We've never raked them nor do we plan on doing so. Exception is to clear just a small amount right next to the house if it needs done. Usually Mother Nature makes enough wind to do the job for us.


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## Backwoods Savage (Aug 20, 2012)

Joful said:


> Well, the walnuts have a husk on them, which makes them the size of a large plum or a crab-apple when they fall. This husk is very tough, and must be removed before the walnut begins to rot. So, you could eat them, but you'd have to gather them up, remove the husks, and then dry the nut inside. If you let the husk begin to rot, it produces a dark colored oil which is used for making dark furniture stains. If you get that stuff on you (or on your boots, and then your carpet... DAMHIKT), you will never get it off.
> 
> I've been toying with the idea of buying and modifying a golf ball collector from a local driving range, for the express purpose of picking up walnuts. Maybe then I could entertain selling them.


 
Walnuts are good. Yes, you must remove the husks, or shells and many do that by simply throwing them on the driveway and running over them to loosen the husks or shells. Store in onion bags hanging from a rafter and don't try to split until mid winter at the earliest.

One thing that is good to do though with walnuts as with hickory nuts. Before gathering lots, crack 3 or 4 and make sure there is meat inside. If no meat; no picking up of the nuts.


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## Backwoods Savage (Aug 20, 2012)

Jags said:


> Jake - old timers used to take the green husked walnuts and throw them on the driveway. After a week or two of driving over them the husks would peel pretty easy. Then they would take the nuts out to the shop and run them through the vise to get them to crack. Then ya gotta talk somebody into making bread or cookies. (if they are black walnuts, you will only want to use about 1/4 the amount called for because of the intense flavor. Sounds like fun doesn't it?
> 
> I love fall - I just don't like what comes after that.


 

Jags, sorry I had not ready your post before posting and I see you covered the part about running over the nuts. Good advice.

Here's more;  wear rubber gloves when handling them.  You can also crack them with a hammer.


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## Mrs. Krabappel (Aug 20, 2012)

Blue Vomit said:


> I love the fall but dread raking, blowing, and picking up the leaves. Easily my least favorite chore.


 
What is this raking leaves you speak of?


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## PapaDave (Aug 20, 2012)

Ditto, Kathleen, why waste valuable energy?
I use the mower and make 'em go into the driveway, where they stay and get smushed further by the Jeep. They also get mulched into the yard.
However, if you were using them for compost, that's a whole 'nother sitchitation.


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## Mrs. Krabappel (Aug 20, 2012)

*sigh* you guys started talking about your nuts and you got my thread kicked down to just north of the can


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## Ashful (Aug 20, 2012)

Backwoods Savage said:


> You can also crack them with a hammer.


 
According to Thomas Jefferson, Washington could crack walnuts with his bare hands.


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## Dix (Aug 20, 2012)

dafattkidd said:


> This is about what I've been doing the past two years. I found a guy who delivers wood for so cheap I can't justify spending so much time scrounging as I've done in years past. I still scrounge a couple cords a year, but buying two cords this year to burn next year seems to work well for me, and takes the pressure off my scrounge demands. However, I scored a jackpot scrounge at work recently and don't think I'll need to buy wood in the spring.


 
Dom & I share the same cheapo wood guy , plus I have another (who also is bringing me pallets  ) At $100 or so a load, it's not worth it to  scrounge everything. I've got enough "to big to fit in either stove" that needs to be resplit, plus 2 humungous oak trees that I has taken down (for a ridiculous price), that still have to be processed. Luckily I have a borrowed splitter coming in soon, and I'll have it for a few weeks, so everything will get done.

Plus a neighbor who've I've known since I was a kid has 2 trees (oak) down & cut in her yard, and she asked me if I wanted it in return for giving her split wood in exchange (done deal !!). She just burns in her FP. I'll load up some of my stuff, unload & stack for her, them load up her stuff, bring it home, & split it.

At that point, I shu;d be good to go for a few years, and can just buy a few cords a year, and process what ever the carpenter ants are killing. Plus, the girls have a another heavily wooded acre that needs tree work. We'll be good to go for  quite a while.


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## amateur cutter (Aug 21, 2012)

Joful said:


> According to Thomas Jefferson, Washington could crack walnuts with his bare hands.


 
Only one way I know of to get a grip like that. That oughta get this thread kicked to the can. A C


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## begreen (Aug 21, 2012)

I can do that easily with two walnuts.


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## fossil (Aug 21, 2012)

My grandpa showed me when I was a kid..."Here's how we can eat Walnuts when we can't find one of the nutcrackers".  Of course these were all Walnuts that had been stripped of the husk & dried/cured for the commercial grocery market (a process of which I'm completely ignorant).  In any case, it wasn't all that difficult to crack the shells on one or even sometimes both of the two.


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## Shadow&Flame (Aug 21, 2012)

I can still see my father cracking English walnuts by the fireplace and throwing the hulls in the fire.  We got him a grocery sack full for Christmas every year.
He could crack a single walnut with his bare hand...and a kids skull for misbehaving as well...


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## blacktail (Aug 22, 2012)

I have 2 large big leaf maples in my front yard, and the neighboring properties have more big leaf maples and alders. When the leaves are really dropping my front yard can be under a foot of leaves in less than 48 hours.






I inherited my grandparents' old riding mower that's probably as old as I am. It's overkill for just mowing the grass in my small yard, so I only pull it out of the garage when I need a leaf harvester. 










I just scatter the chopped up leaves in the woods behind the house.


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## Jags (Aug 22, 2012)

blacktail said:


> I inherited my grandparents' old riding mower that's probably as old as I am.


 
Its official - I am old.


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## Delta-T (Aug 22, 2012)

Jags said:


> Its official - I am old.


 
naw, that mower is older than it looks...you can't see the team of horses pulling it from that angle. Thats also not a cup holder...that's where you're supposed to keep your rifle....for fighting off bandits.


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## Jags (Aug 22, 2012)

Delta-T said:


> naw, that mower is older than it looks...you can't see the team of horses pulling it from that angle. Thats also not a cup holder...that's where you're supposed to keep your rifle....for fighting off bandits.


 
Delta - the seat is in better condition than I am.


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## lukem (Aug 22, 2012)

We used to do leaf removal at a cemetery.  The leaves would be 18 inches deep before we blew them into windrows to vacuum up.  Next to weedeating a cemetery, leave removal is the next most evil part of that job.


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## jharkin (Aug 23, 2012)

Isaw the lineup of stoves at Lowes on tax holiday weekend, and the local mulch/wood/coal/etc yard has the huge mountain of wood out by the street.  Signs of the times.

I LOVE fall. A couple weekends of raking is a nice change of pace from months of mowing. Apple picking, mulled cider, turkey day, football. Love it all. My favorite time of year. One more work trip and then nothing but fall and the holidays to look forward to.

On the wood front I'm looking at my best stack yet, and much of this years I got free and hand split due to the neighbors Irene trees. Still at least a cord left to split come fall, should get me through 13/14 burning. Probably be back to buying wood after that runs out, don't have the space or equipment to scrounge full time.


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## firebroad (Aug 23, 2012)

Autumn leaves--love em.  I wait until end of November, the wind will blow a lot away,  then go over the rest with the riding mower, and then use the bagger to vacuum them up for the compost heaps.  Come spring I have lovely mulch and the start of some of the best compost I have ever used.


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## begreen (Aug 26, 2012)

Our grass catcher filled up too quickly with leaves. I'd be emptying them every 5-10 minutes. Now I use a giant nylon bag with a drawstring. The leaf catcher buckets are removed and the mouth of the bag goes around the top of the catcher. We get a big haul of leaves this way.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Bag-for-Law...462?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item336606a486


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## Ashful (Aug 27, 2012)

If I bagged my leaves (and my walnuts), there would likely be a national shortage of trash bags.  

The first "big" purchase in the new house was a Little Wonder blower.  Second was a handheld Echo blower, to blow leaves out of the gardens, and feed the Little Wonder.


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## MasterMech (Aug 29, 2012)

Joful said:


> If I bagged my leaves (and my walnuts), there would likely be a national shortage of trash bags.
> 
> The first "big" purchase in the new house was a Little Wonder blower. Second was a handheld Echo blower, to blow leaves out of the gardens, and feed the Little Wonder.


Amazing what the bigger LW's will push.


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## MasterMech (Aug 29, 2012)

Ultra-Vac's ...



Leaf Plows ...



and Truck Loaders!



Oh My!


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## Adios Pantalones (Aug 29, 2012)

Cool nights, but no heat needed yet. Be wearing real clothes soon- this is my favorite time of year.


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