# Shoulder season in December?



## lukem (Dec 21, 2011)

My defintion of the shoulder season is when it is too warm to have a fire, and too cold not to have a fire.  Weather here in the hoosier state is definately shoulder season weather this week.  We've already reached our low of 45* tonight, and a high of 50* tomorrow.  I have a small fire going but it is roasting me out.  If I let the fire go out the boss will be on me about it being too chilly.

Damned if you do, damned if you don't.  Its not often that i wish it would get 15* colder at night, but i do today.


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## remkel (Dec 21, 2011)

Had a lot of that up here- many evenings of opening the slider door for a while to bring the temps down in the house- but I would rather do that than hear the oil dragon in the basement firing off!


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## Pat53 (Dec 21, 2011)

Yup, thats why storage is nice. Useable heat only when you need it and no wasted wood/heat. I've been burning only junk aspen and birch for 2 months now waiting for the cold to hit. hard to believe that up here in the UP of Michigan we have NO SNOW at all. Normally have almost a foot on the ground by now on average, sometimes a LOT more too. And there is no snow in sight for at least the rest of the week. We'll probably pay for this nice weather sooner or later. probably won't get above 40F till next May !  LOL

Went out and scrounged another cord+ in the slashing today in about 2 hours, and plan on getting at least another cord later in the week.


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## SolarAndWood (Dec 21, 2011)

Been burning 24/7 since the end of September and haven't had to burn one decent stick of firewood.  What a beautiful thing.


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## lukem (Dec 21, 2011)

I ran out of junk wood a few weeks back.  Burning ash and oak right now because that's all i have.


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## SolarAndWood (Dec 21, 2011)

Hey, you do what you gotta do.


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## lukem (Dec 21, 2011)

SolarAndWood said:
			
		

> Hey, you do what you gotta do.



True dat.  Not burning much...should throw some hedge in there tonight and load it again on Friday!


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## Thistle (Dec 21, 2011)

Just a  few days normal or below temps so far this month,but also at least 5 days 45 to 55 degrees.Only 5 inches snow in 2 separate storms since mid November here.Last year at this time there was at least a foot of snow covering a 5 county radius.Still burning odd chunks/uglies,remaining scrap/edgings from milling last Spring & from big pile of 2"-5" dead fallen branches.About 2 p/u loads total,long as weather stays decent that should last me another 3-4 weeks easily.Not even touched the 'good stuff' yet.Plan on going out & cutting more later in the week,I'm usually done working in the woods by now because of deep snow.


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## bogydave (Dec 21, 2011)

:coolgrin:  >:-(  :shut: 
Waa waa waa
You need to move to Fairbanks 
http://forecast.weather.gov/MapClic...44&lon=-147.89794921875&site=afg&unit=0&lg=en
Send some 50s this way


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## firecracker_77 (Dec 21, 2011)

lukem said:
			
		

> My defintion of the shoulder season is when it is too warm to have a fire, and too cold not to have a fire.  Weather here in the hoosier state is definately shoulder season weather this week.  We've already reached our low of 45* tonight, and a high of 50* tomorrow.  I have a small fire going but it is roasting me out.  If I let the fire go out the boss will be on me about it being too chilly.
> 
> Damned if you do, damned if you don't.  Its not often that i wish it would get 15* colder at night, but i do today.



My office with my woodstove is in NW Indiana.  I feel your pain.  Very warm out...and wet.  I'm at 74.4 in here with a smoulder going.  Kind of sucks to be in this in-between.  I want 30 degree nights, so I can load the stove prior to coming back in the morning for work.


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## firecracker_77 (Dec 21, 2011)

bogydave said:
			
		

> :coolgrin:  >:-(  :shut:
> Waa waa waa
> You need to move to Fairbanks
> http://forecast.weather.gov/MapClic...44&lon=-147.89794921875&site=afg&unit=0&lg=en
> Send some 50s this way



As Charlie Brown would say after looking at your weather, good grief!  That's about as cold as it ever gets around here.  Single digits is devastating.


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## bogydave (Dec 21, 2011)

firecracker_77 said:
			
		

> bogydave said:
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> 
> 
> ...



LOL
Was just listening to complaining about nice weather, be careful what you ask for.
More to be funny than anything, 
Hope you all get snow for Christmas


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## Thistle (Dec 21, 2011)

Story on local news tonight that this is the first Christmas since 2006 that there's no snow on the ground in metro area.4 years in a row,set a record apparantly.Not only a foot on the ground last year,but 2 more inches fell on Christmas Day itself.I wouldnt mind seeing 3-4 inches over the weekend,but its not in the forecast though.No snow with firm frozen ground does mean it'll be easier for me to cut some more on my day off however.  :coolsmirk:


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## EatenByLimestone (Dec 21, 2011)

Given the choice of walking around outside when it's in the 30s or 40s and -23 as it hit one morning last year I'll gladly take the warmer.  

Matt


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## BrotherBart (Dec 21, 2011)

Yeah 48 outside at nine o'clock and I have just put three splits on the coals for tonight. Been cloudy and chilly all day. No other heat source so ya burn the wood. In this place over the years I have never noticed a heck of a lot of difference in how much wood I burn no matter how mild or cold the winter is. 50 outside is fine but I ain't gonna have it inside. The inside gets down to 69 or 70 and something is gonna burn.


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## firecracker_77 (Dec 21, 2011)

BrotherBart said:
			
		

> Yeah 48 outside at nine o'clock and I have just put three splits on the coals for tonight. Been cloudy and chilly all day. No other heat source so ya burn the wood. In this place over the years I have never noticed a heck of a lot of difference in how much wood I burn no matter how mild or cold the winter is. 50 outside is fine but I ain't gonna have it inside. The inside gets down to 69 or 70 and something is gonna burn.



Yep...no reason to be chilly when you have a stove and a stack of dry wood.


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## firecracker_77 (Dec 21, 2011)

bogydave said:
			
		

> firecracker_77 said:
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Point taken.  Nothing like crying about mild temps.


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## aussiedog3 (Dec 21, 2011)

Kinda the same here in West Michigan.
Been burning since the first week in November.
Still burning up pine and very little hardwood.
Feels good to get some of the pine burned up and out of the way.


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## Oregon Bigfoot (Dec 21, 2011)

Same here in Oregon.  It's been drier here in December 2011 in the Pacific Northwest than any other month this year.  Very odd.  We have had 0.10 inches of rain ALL month.  Weather man says we are at 3% of normal precipitation for December.  It's been cool, but not too cold.  If it keeps up, this will be the driest December on record, after 6 inches of rain in November.

It was nice to watch the Blazers finally play without Brandon Roy, last night.  They put on an up tempo show.

Oregon Bigfoot.


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## LLigetfa (Dec 21, 2011)

Turned real mild here... had to let the fire die.  At least I get to clean the blackened glass from trying to burn it on low.  Will need to have a fire this evening though as it will be turning cold.


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## Cascade Failure (Dec 21, 2011)

Well, I'm starting more fires and using more kindling than last year but my stack isn't shrinking nearly as fast...yeah, I can live with that.


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## Grannyknot (Dec 21, 2011)

My problem with shoulder season is that I only really need the house to be warm at night and in the mornings, but it takes so long to get my firebox up to temps, that I pretty much have a fire going all the time.  During shoulder season I usually end up building a big fire but then shutting the damper and intakes all the way....really just to keep some coals in there for the night/morning stokes.  I hate shoulder season because I feel like I am wasting good wood just to keep hot coals in the stove.


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## Coach B (Dec 21, 2011)

bogydave said:
			
		

> :coolgrin:  >:-(  :shut:
> Waa waa waa
> You need to move to Fairbanks
> http://forecast.weather.gov/MapClic...44&lon=-147.89794921875&site=afg&unit=0&lg=en
> Send some 50s this way



Interestingly, when its cold up your way its often mild in the eastern states.  

What a difference a year makes.  Last year we had single digits in mid Dec with some snow.  Today I had 60 degrees this morning when I got up. Woodpiles are not shrinking, but may be rotting with the mild and wet weather we've been having.


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## ISeeDeadBTUs (Dec 21, 2011)

lukem said:
			
		

> I ran out of junk wood a few weeks back.  Burning ash and oak right now because that's all i have.



THAT is a CRIME! >:-(  Punishable by having all your Ash and Oak taken away for the rest of the season!


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## stejus (Dec 21, 2011)

First day of Winter coming up and it will be near 50 degrees.  It will be 50 degree's today as well.  Burning up some bark that I have been storing up as it falls off the wood.   I've only run the stove hard on a few occasions so far this year.


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## firefighterjake (Dec 21, 2011)

We've had a few days here and there where I could let the fire go out . . . but for the most part I've been burning 24/7 now for some time.


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## basswidow (Dec 21, 2011)

Same here.  I've been only burning junk wood, uglies, and setting my good stuff aside.  We had a few nights in the teens, but it's mild again.  56 and not even freezing over night.  I've got an ample supply of junk wood,  so no complaints.


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## raygard (Dec 21, 2011)

Wife wrote a nastygram and left it on the kitchen table this morning.

"Don't add more wood to stove.  It was too hot last night"


Drat.


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## pyper (Dec 21, 2011)

Shoulder season? Last Friday the neighbor told me she was running the AC.

Friend of mine predicts that a warm late fall is going to make for an exceptionally cold mid-winter.


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## mecreature (Dec 21, 2011)

Its hard to get the knack of things on my rookie year with warm temps... 

I only have about a cord of cottonwood left then I can move on to some real wood.


the thing I have figured out about cottonwood, its predictable.


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## Got Wood (Dec 21, 2011)

I'm still golfing - playing again tomorrow and the 10 day forecast here has high temps in the 40's every day.


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## bogydave (Dec 21, 2011)

Shoulder season is tough. I seem to over heat the house when temp get around 40 yet still need a fire.
I started doing about 1/3 to 1/4 loads of wood in the stove & running on low.
Then in the morning, I could throw a few splits in & get the house warm pretty quick.
Still I had to open doors & windows when it got to hot inside.
You all are getting a good learning curve done for shoulder season burning, maybe  you'll get winter next month.

Got wood: "Iâ€™m still golfing - playing again tomorrow"


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## Backwoods Savage (Dec 21, 2011)

If my memory is correct, this will be the first green Christmas we've seen since 2001 or 2002. Of course we were in Yuma, AZ at the time...


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## egclassic (Dec 21, 2011)

bogydave said:
			
		

> :coolgrin:  >:-(  :shut:
> Waa waa waa
> You need to move to Fairbanks
> http://forecast.weather.gov/MapClic...44&lon=-147.89794921875&site=afg&unit=0&lg=en
> Send some 50s this way



-23* as a HIGH? That is terrible. Sometimes I watch Alaska State Troopers and wonder "why would anyone want to live in Alaska?" 
You'd have to like the cold and snow, which I don't!
Keep warm!! :cheese:


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## Thistle (Dec 21, 2011)

47 here today,42 right now.High of 34 expected tommorow.May see an inch or two overnight through tommorow afternoon if forecast holds.It wont be sticking around because the weekend is calling for temps near 40 with sunshine.From 2007-10 there was several inches snow on the ground at Christmas time,nothing out there now though.


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## LLigetfa (Dec 22, 2011)

rayg said:
			
		

> Wife wrote a nastygram and left it on the kitchen table this morning.
> 
> "Don't add more wood to stove.  It was too hot last night"
> 
> ...


No nastygrams here... she tells me to my face and follows it up with "the look". >:-(


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## wishlist (Dec 22, 2011)

bogydave said:
			
		

> :coolgrin:  >:-(  :shut:
> Waa waa waa
> You need to move to Fairbanks
> http://forecast.weather.gov/MapClic...44&lon=-147.89794921875&site=afg&unit=0&lg=en
> Send some 50s this way



Jeez, some members have all the luck. I'm sure Dave can ice fish, skate, and cut wood without working up a sweat.  Just a little advice Dave, I would do the outdoor chores before next Tuesday. Friggin low of -37,  only -21 on Friday! That's crazy know matter how you slice it.


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## stejus (Dec 22, 2011)

This is beyond shoulder season in my opinion... Yesturday I kept the stove going by throwing in a few super small splits just to keep the stove going.   Last night I decided to let it go out because the overnight low was going to be around 45 and it was 75 inside.  This morning the stove sits cold and it was 68 in the house.  We'll hit mid 50's today on the first day of Winter.   Tonights lows will be around freezing so I'll have to get the stove going tonight.

Something tells me we are going to pay for this down the road...


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## Wood Duck (Dec 22, 2011)

My stove is going cold, and although Christmas is in three days I am not going to bother relighting it until maybe tonight, maybe tomorrow. I figure there will be a fire in the stove on Christmas Eve no matter what the weather is like. Part of the magic of Santa is when he comes down a chimney despite a fire, and I don't want to ruin Christmas! If I have to leave a window open will Santa come in that way instead?


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## muncybob (Dec 22, 2011)

I'm actually hoping for warm overnight temps Christmas night as we'll be out of town and I really don't want to use much oil while we are gone.


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## lukem (Dec 22, 2011)

stejus said:
			
		

> Something tells me we are going to pay for this down the road...



You're probably right.  January will probably be especially brutal.


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