# "Can I Borrow Some Wood?"



## cannonballcobb (Oct 15, 2008)

My wood pile has been described to me as a "freight train". Yes, it's 200' in length and unfortunately, visible from the road. Any how, I find it amusing/annoying when neighbors ask "Can I borrow some wood?". This always confuses me; how does one borrow fire wood? Will they bring me back ashes? Or maybe they will just put in their fireplace and not light it, returning it to me in the Spring. Either way, I decided last season to stack 20 pieces at the end of the driveway, with a sign that reads $10. I figured this would scare people away, however I think it did just the opposite; an extra $300 never hurt!

Anyone else out there experience "can I borrow wood"?


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## TMonter (Oct 15, 2008)

I've gotten that a few times and if it's neighbors who need 2-3 pieces for a fire in a fireplace for a party I usually oblige. However I do have one local neighbor who I've put my foot down and explained that he needs to find his own source of firewood.

My next door neighbor who made fun of me a few years ago for buying a wood stove instead of a gas one knows better I think lol.


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## Molson (Oct 15, 2008)

I get that every so often.  I dump my rounds at the side of the driveway to be split then stacked at the back. I had 3 notes on my door asking to sell/give away the wood. You can see the stacks, the splitter, and the rounds, do they think I'm just doing it for the exercise?


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## big_fish (Oct 15, 2008)

our neighbor is 72 and she will ask for some but like most of the people in her generation has to pay you for everything we just cut a load today for her and tried to stack it and leave before she noticed but for 72 she is pretty quick so we take $5.00 for gas so she will let us out of the driveway but if you are able to get out don't ask for mine. We used to have a family that lived next to us and I used to stack my wood by the fence i would see a fire and find out they stold my wood for a bond fire so  as you can guess we had problems and I stacked the wood some where else


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## VTSR5 (Oct 15, 2008)

cannonballcobb said:
			
		

> ...Anyone else out there experience "can I borrow wood"?



Yeah, only they didn't bother to ask, so count yourself lucky.  

I had two cords stacked very nicely and evenly along the hurricane fence behind my warehouse.  Beautiful place to dry wood, great sun all day long and plenty of air.  But after a month, I noticed a big bite right out of the middle of the stack, like someone had backed up and loaded 25 splits.  If they had taken these evenly across the length of this stack, I would never have noticed.

One consequence of this is that I got nervous about leaving it there and moved the wood to my garage in mid September, and it is not properly seasoned yet.  But I stupidly stacked it in front of all the good dry stuff, so I'm going to have to move it again.  

Counting two failed holz hausen attempts with this wood, by the time it makes it into the stove I will have moved it like ten times!  You know you've handled it too much when you get to recognize several of the splits in the stack like they are old friends.


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## joeleisner (Oct 15, 2008)

I run a bandsaw mill for personal use and would be more than happy for people to borrow some wood!  I have two neighbors just a tractor path away.  I keep my hardwood slabs under some old tin roofing and just gang cut the slabs to the size of their stoves.  Nicely stacked on a pallet I can "lay" some nice fire wood on them with the forks on my tractor.  Not much splitting with slab wood and they have a great orgainc garden and eggs that they send the extra items from my way.


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## MrGriz (Oct 15, 2008)

Can you borrow some wood?.... Sure, as long as I can 'borrow' some beer and return it when I'm done!


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## Elfin (Oct 15, 2008)

That old "borrow" line really cracks me up... reminds me of the time I had a compost delivery sitting in front of the house and the neighbor came down with his bucket wanting to "borrow" some... how would you return something like that? (at least he only had a bucket, not a wheelbarrow, cause he came back with his bucket more than once). 

I don't mind sharing, but I guess in many ways I'm glad that our current house is very hidden from the road, and you can't see our stacked wood at all. It certainly is awkward when someone asks for things of this type... you don't want to say no for just a small amount, yet you don't want to set a future precedent of this being a frequent request.


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## kevin85 (Oct 15, 2008)

This is the first year of nine or so burning that I am way ahead.  I have lots of wood stacked that I worked my butt off to process.  It has been split and stacked in the sun and wind since February/March.  I also paid to have the tree lengths delivered, saw, gas, and all the extras.  I had a friend of my wife's call her and ask if I sold firewood.  My wife said she would ask me and get back to her.  I told my wife that I really would like to help them out, but the wood is too valuable to me to sell right now.  I figured I would want $250 a cord as I have seen people in my area selling cords for that price and I am sure my wood is probably more seasoned.

Anyway, we told them(husband & wife) that I wasn't selling wood, but that we had a friend selling some for $225 a cord delivered.  Both the husband and wife smirked and the wife asked, "Is that STACKED too??"  I am sooo happy I didn't offer my wood for $250.  No appreciation for the work and costs involved in processing firewood.  Sorry for the rant!


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## MrGriz (Oct 15, 2008)

Yep, people just don't realize how much even 'free' wood really costs.


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## allhandsworking (Oct 15, 2008)

I wish my wife would ask to borrow some wood!


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## JustWood (Oct 15, 2008)

I have a 2'x2' sign with a picture of a 44 mag on it at the entrance of my place that says "NO TRESSPASSIN' unless you can outrun a bullet" and nobody asks me to borrow nuttin'!


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## BrotherBart (Oct 16, 2008)

When I think about the blood, sweat and tears that go into that woodpile I wouldn't sell it for a grand a cord. Besides the fact that I am still paying a mortgage on every tree I cut down and burn on this place.

Of course I told my wife that if I grab my chest and fall over that she needs to ask $200 a cord for it.


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## cannonballcobb (Oct 16, 2008)

Yes, occasionally people will ask me how much I charge for a cord. I just tell them that I don't have enough to sell in those quantities.

The $10 stacks are just too easy and profitable not to sell, and it keeps the "borrowers" away. (Maybe this season I'll have to raise it to $12.)


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## Backwoods Savage (Oct 16, 2008)

cannonballcob (quite a name!), I like your idea of the wood with a sign with $10.00. Good thinking!

I do give a neighbor a face cord of wood each year and sometimes two, but then we also get things from them. Just trying to be neighborly. Tis much better to have happy neighbors than the other way around. Life is too short to have bad neighbors.


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## CowboyAndy (Oct 16, 2008)

I was thinking about putting up a sign near the wood pile that says "ONE of these peices has dynomite in it. Guess which one."

I live on a main road, but I don't worry too much about it, but it is still a concern. Jeez, if someone really wanted something of value form me, my table saw, air compressor and other toold have been on my front porch all summer long...


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## cannonballcobb (Oct 16, 2008)

Don't get me wrong, if I had a neighbor that was incapable of gathering of paying for firewood, I would be more than happy to give some away. I suppose it rubs me the wrong way when healthy middle aged men don't have the forethought to plan ahead. It's like they think, oh look at all that guys wood, he has plenty to go around. Now, if when they see me out there splitting and stacking, they were to stop and offer a hand, that would also be a different story. But that has yet to happen, LOL.


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## Jfk4th (Oct 16, 2008)

I park my Police truck right next to my wood, don't know if that helps or attracts more attention    .  Haven't had any wood taken....yet


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## kevin85 (Oct 16, 2008)

I agree with cannonballcobb.  I had another mother in our neighboorhood ask me this morning about firewood.  I know her a little better than the other couple so I explained why the wood is too valuable for me to sell.  I told her about the other friend who is selling a cord for $225.  She said, "Isn't that expensive? I saw $150 a cord in the paper."  I told her to check and make sure the wood is well seasoned and even offered her my moisture meter if she wanted to check the $150 a cord wood out.  I gave her my opinion that I thought it would be better to buy from someone we all know and that his wood is definitely seasoned well.  

She then went on to tell me that the stove her husband is installing himself is old and she's not sure how well it will work.  I told her to get a CO2 detector and to be really careful.  As everyone is saying all over, I hate to see how many chimney fires and fire accidents will happen this winter.


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## big_fish (Oct 16, 2008)

AMEN cannonball I cut all yr long never a down time its only money in the bank if you dont burn it this year I hate to hear someone say they dont have time to cut I work a full time job and do small engine work on the side in my garage and I find time


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## CowboyAndy (Oct 16, 2008)

cannonballcobb said:
			
		

> Don't get me wrong, if I had a neighbor that was incapable of gathering of paying for firewood, I would be more than happy to give some away. I suppose it rubs me the wrong way when healthy middle aged men don't have the forethought to plan ahead. It's like they think, oh look at all that guys wood, he has plenty to go around. Now, if when they see me out there splitting and stacking, they were to stop and offer a hand, that would also be a different story. But that has yet to happen, LOL.



We went through something simmilar this year with my brother in law Bill. My wife and her 5 siblings all have 200 acres of cherry, maple, birch, boxelder and hickory at their disposal, to take as much as they would like. My brother in law Bill and sister in law decided to buy a stove to heat their small 1200 sq ft ranch. We all offered and offered to help him cut wood. Not once did he accept. A few times my brother in law Dennis just went out and cut for them, about 1/2 a cord. Bill finally went out once and fell 1 tree, about a face cord. it has all been sitting in the yard unsplit since then. So 2 months ago he decides he is too busy, and gets a "great deal" on some seasoned maple... 5 face cords for $325, he has to pick up. Most guys are selling for $65 a face delivered.


Some people...


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## billb3 (Oct 16, 2008)

$10.00 for 20 pieces of hardwood is cheap compared the the tiny bundle of campsite pine they sell at 7/11.

I have a similar answer for people who think  I'm not "using" my woods so they are fair game.
You don't cut trees or ride minibikes on my property unless you are paying the mortgage and liabilty insurance.
Go buy your own.

The other one I like is: "Do you have extra" ?

Tell ya what, show me a pack of 20 class A cigarettes that came with 21 in it by mistake and I'll show you "extra" firewood.


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## Vic99 (Oct 16, 2008)

So far I have had no requests for wood.  I think this is because all of my wood is behind a 6ft wooden fence.  My immediate neighbors know what I do, others don't unless they pay a lot of attention.

My wife asked why I don't use space at the end of the driveway to dry wood.  I told her that I would be infuriated if someone stole wood that I processed.  It's just too much time and effort to make it easier for theives.


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## trailblaze (Oct 16, 2008)

my neighbors know i'll attack anyone stealing from me... so i don't have any problems with the neighbors...

but my pain in the ass in-laws seem to think since i have 4 cords that i have a ton of wood to spare... they wanted to fill their pick-up truck with my seasoned wood for their backyard fire pit.... i was not happy!  when i said umm NO, they got offended and said i'm stingy....

my wife knows what i think of her parents, and i told her if she takes them wood, then she should take her belongings over with her too!


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## bluewater_1993 (Oct 16, 2008)

I'm always concerned about coming home to missing wood, although it hasn't happened yet. I would be royally pissed if I did though, so I can understand all your reactions. It's a lot of time and effort in gathering, splitting, and stacking wood to just have someone mooch off me. I do like the idea of the sign saying one piece has a stick of dynamite in it...


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## cannonballcobb (Oct 16, 2008)

If I wanted to keep thieves away, I would just post a few of those "smile you're on surveillance camera" signs. Much more believable IMO.


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## the_dude (Oct 16, 2008)

When I had some trees cleared last fall to put in our yard, I had two large piles of log length wood at my house.  My folks asked me for some, and I told them of course.  If they wanted to come cut and split a couple trailers full out of it, to go right ahead.  My pa helps me all the time, so that is no issue.  

About two weeks later, my uncle called me and said "Hey, your Mom called and told me you got a bunch of firewood you are trying to get rid of."  I was so mad, I could hardly speak.  I finally came around and told my uncle to stop out that week and we would talk.

I immediately called my mother and explained to her how uncool that was.  She apologized and said, I didn't know you wanted it!!

My uncle showed up, I told him he could come out, help me cut, split, and stack, and then take some for himself too.  I never heard back from him.


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## Catskill (Oct 16, 2008)

Ya me too.

When it's December and cold I have plenty of friends asking for wood. The rest of the time "helpers" are few and far between.


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## bayshorecs (Oct 16, 2008)

You could always ask to "borrow some money" when they ask to "borrow some wood".  Not to keep, just to hold on to until they return the wood


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## Adios Pantalones (Oct 16, 2008)

Frustrating stories.  

Trailblaze- That sux.  Like it just fell out of the sky there.  You need to get the wife to take that heat bro.  

"We heat the house with this" should be word enough to anyone compassionate.  Or how about- "one truckload heats the house for 2 weeks!  Pay for 2 weeks oil, and you got a deal"  

I have plenty of crap wood and brush piles that people could come process if they wanted something.


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## ScottF (Oct 16, 2008)

Yeah,  How come everyone is envious of all the wood you have outside and want to borrow it but you never hear of anyone asking to borrow oil?  Both are fuel.  What do they think that the wood grows on trees or something?  With oil you pay with your checkbook but with wood you pay with your sore back for all the processing it takes.  either way it costs you big time.


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## Adios Pantalones (Oct 16, 2008)

Yup.  My neighbors don't seem to understand drying wood, but they have plenty of unseasoned wood out there.  If one was cold and out of work- I'd probably give them money for oil before I'd give them wood.


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## scotsman (Oct 16, 2008)

I have a friend who has had an issue with "walking wood". I made the following sign for him:

"Watch yourself--There's a couple of snakes in here we didn't catch!"

Which is actually true! They were little bull snakes that we like to have around, so we left 'em.

What I didn't reckon on was that ~14" coral snake we found over by the well three weeks ago! And she was the deadly kind. We didn't catch her either, thus the ~14"!!

He hasn't had any wood walk off in the last two years! We can't understand why, either!


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## deck2 (Oct 16, 2008)

I guess I am lucky, none of my neighbors burn wood and when the one had a tree taken down he had the tree service leave the larger pieces, bucked them up and rolled them into my yard (about a cord and a half),  The following weekend I pulled out the splitter and he came over and helped me split and stack them.  So not only did I get the rounds delivered 10 ft from my wood pile, I had help splitting and stacking.  Now if only he had a few more trees cut down...  If he wants to raid my wood pile for a few splits to take on a camping trip he is more than welcome! --Did I mention he is a local police officer and keeps a good eye on all the neighborhood

Another neighbor I have saw that I was stacking a 2 cord wood delivery last fall and helped me stack it.


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## kenny chaos (Oct 16, 2008)

"Just give me five hours on Saturday clearing brush around the pond."  The pond is really getting in bad shape.


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## smokinj (Oct 16, 2008)

trailblaze said:
			
		

> my neighbors know i'll attack anyone stealing from me... so i don't have any problems with the neighbors...
> 
> but my pain in the ass in-laws seem to think since i have 4 cords that i have a ton of wood to spare... they wanted to fill their pick-up truck with my seasoned wood for their backyard fire pit.... i was not happy!  when i said umm NO, they got offended and said i'm stingy....
> 
> my wife knows what i think of her parents, and i told her if she takes them wood, then she should take her belongings over with her too!


Howed that all work out for you?


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## DiscoInferno (Oct 16, 2008)

My wood is mostly not visible from the front but everybody knows I cut and split in the driveway.  I've given a few splits to a couple of neighbors, but neither has yet tried to come back for seconds.  These are honorable people, so for me it's a cheap deposit in the favor bank.  Certainly if it ever became a problem I would go with the $10/bundle wood rack out front.  In the summer up in MI we pass about 10 of those just driving into town.


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## Como (Oct 16, 2008)

Not wood, but there is astory I came across in my small town years ago when someone put a stick of Dynamite in a hollowed out piece of coal.

I have a deal with a neighbor who uses my land to process wood. Also makes sure I have a supply to hand if mine runs out. Just put him in touch with someone I know who is clearing wood a couple of miles away, win win, he has somewhere to dump, my neighbor has somewhere to process and I have a supply at reasonable cost.


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## VTSR5 (Oct 16, 2008)

Durango said:
			
		

> Not wood, but there is astory I came across in my small town years ago when someone put a stick of Dynamite in a hollowed out piece of coal...



Hmmm.  Sounds like a tragedy waiting to happen to a couple of kids playing near the stove or some other innocent person.


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## cannonballcobb (Oct 16, 2008)

deck2 said:
			
		

> I guess I am lucky, none of my neighbors burn wood and when the one had a tree taken down he had the tree service leave the larger pieces, bucked them up and rolled them into my yard (about a cord and a half),  The following weekend I pulled out the splitter and he came over and helped me split and stack them.  So not only did I get the rounds delivered 10 ft from my wood pile, I had help splitting and stacking.  Now if only he had a few more trees cut down...  If he wants to raid my wood pile for a few splits to take on a camping trip he is more than welcome! --Did I mention he is a local police officer and keeps a good eye on all the neighborhood
> 
> Another neighbor I have saw that I was stacking a 2 cord wood delivery last fall and helped me stack it.



That sounds like the neighborhood I grew up in back in the late 70's. When a neighbor had a tree come down, all the dads would get together on a Saturday and have a wood cutting/splitting beer drinking gathering.


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## Como (Oct 16, 2008)

VTZJ said:
			
		

> Durango said:
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It was 100 years ago, and it did identify who was stealing from his coal supply.

And it did not happen again...


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## Rapid River (Oct 17, 2008)

I have the opposite problem up here in the Michigan Upper Peninsula.  If my neighbors think I am running a little low on wood, they will drop some off when I am away at work.  They do this all on their own.   Of course, my place is where people go to have a few and shoot the breeze.  

We are tight up here.


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## chad3 (Oct 17, 2008)

Some of my green wood is placed at the end of a shared driveway with my parents neighbor.  This sucker is an AS&HO;($.  If I ever see wood missing, I won't accuse him, I'll put up a video camera and hope to catch him and call the cops.  Anyone burning wood that would take from another wood burner doesn't have a work ethic or doesn't care.  I too have a hard time when someone asks me to sell a cord of wood, especially when they say they need it at 16" and I am cutting at 20".  What a waste so I have to say no.
Chad


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## Elfin (Oct 17, 2008)

We gave a cord away to the inlaws.  They help us out a lot, so it was the right thing to do. Leaves us with nearly 4.5 cords which should be plenty.


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## crazy_dan (Oct 17, 2008)

I cut and split ~17 cord a year, 6 for me, 6 for my wifes grand parents, and 5 for my wifes parents. Nobody ever asks me for wood as they get told to get bent. My wifes grand parents are in their 80s and her dad is a Vet with a hip condition that makes it very hard for him to cut his own. they are people that don't have to ask. I guess if some body really needed it then I would let them have some but, It had better not have been because they were lazy that they need it. I work 60+ hours a week and still find time to all my chores around my acreage and still cut a lot of wood.


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## kevandhel2 (Oct 17, 2008)

I would have to say, after gathering and splitting the wood by hand, we would be hard pressed to give out what we have been bruised and battered for.  It is hard work, which we don't mind, but when you sit on the butt all summer and then want what others have worked hard for you sure better have a big reason for being unprepared.  This is our first year and we have gathered by barter.... we cut down and leave half for a great man who cannot get to the woods on his property but allows us to cut.   We say SORRY BUT NO.....    MY BAD....


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## LONDONDERRY (Oct 17, 2008)

My wood is at the back edge of my driveway stacked since early summer.  I've never had any issues with neighbors asking to borrow some wood, because 1/2 of them seems to burn as well.  When we bought our house, the previous owners had wood stack right against it.  Needless to say when we resided the house there was carpenter ants nests in the house framing.  I would stack it further way from my house next year, but we have a septic tank and leach field in the way, plus the snow drifts in the back yard become high

Frank


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## Adios Pantalones (Oct 17, 2008)

VTZJ said:
			
		

> Durango said:
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There was a famous steam ship sinking after the Civil War where someone supposedly used an iron container shaped like coal, loaded with an explosive (maybe black powder?) and left it in the pile.  Many were killed.  Off topic, but pretty interesting stuff.


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## Duetech (Oct 18, 2008)

What? You wanna borrow some wood? Sure thing but can I borrow some money first? You know like $2 a piece. You burn my wood for what you want and I'll burn your money for what I want...


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## tnroadkill (Oct 18, 2008)

[quote author="CowboyAndy" date="1224184393"]I was thinking about putting up a sign near the wood pile that says "ONE of these peices has dynomite in it. Guess which one."

 hope you do not end up with sign NOW 2 PEICES HAVE DYNOMITE guess which one :lol:


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## Tony H (Oct 18, 2008)

No borrowers so far , our wood is behind the garage and can not be seen from the driveway much less from the road. Only people that can see it are 3 neighbors one that burns and has his wood just down 100' from mine along the fence and 2 that don't burn one that gives his dead wood to me and the other gives his to the other fellow that burns. 
I also have had several family members stop by and donate truckloads of wood from trees they cut down. Very nice.


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