We seem to have a bit of a scrounge backlog happening here...
Last year later in the season, we went out to the Cottage to grab some tools to change the hot water tank at the old house (had been doing some plumbing at the Cottage). On the way into town to grab something for dinner before heading home, we spied some pretty large rounds on the curb, so we stopped to see if we could wrangle them into the truck. In the mean time, we saw the home owners so we asked to be sure they weren't spoken for. No-and could we just come help hold this rope while they dropped this tree? If we could, we could have that wood too...Of course we did, and in the process found that the older gentleman was trying to cut some pretty big trees with an electric pole saw (I have NO idea how they managed to get the bigger pieces cut!!). So, we offered to help...and ended up with the tree we helped drop that day, another tree, the remains of the one that was up front, and the promise of yet another if we could figure out how to safely drop it (it's leaning towards wires, and there are houses in other directions). It's all box elder. We still have to go back to get the rest of the last tree we dropped-once we figure out how to buck the thing, it's stalling the Farm Boss (it's got to be 4-5' in diameter, it's HUGE). So that's a spring project.
A few weeks ago we answered a CL ad for a 60' willow. Again, we have to figure out how to buck the big ole base-the home owner had the rest already bucked and even helped us haul it home with his HD!
Then this weekend, we answered another CL ad for a downed maple, already bucked. Spent yesterday walking piece by piece out from a backyard into the little winter DD and hauling it home-we still have about half the tree left to go, and some big rounds that will have to wait till we can cut them up because there's NO way we're carrying them out as is.
AND we have a downed cherry to go check out and buck and haul home at another location-DH got that lead from a fellow booth owner at the antique coop we're in.
LASTLY, we have a bunch of pine and maple rounds at our old house from our own tree and another scrounge DH got from CL in November.
As we were tossing the maple onto the "scrounge pile" yesterday we were joking that come spring we're going to be regreting this, lol. We ahave a HUGE pile already to C/S/S and it's not even all there yet! Of ccourse, come fall a year from now we'll be happy we did this when we're not buying wood. I just wish we had a bigger lot to use to stage and process-not to mention stack! Hopefully the scrounges keep coming...
Last year later in the season, we went out to the Cottage to grab some tools to change the hot water tank at the old house (had been doing some plumbing at the Cottage). On the way into town to grab something for dinner before heading home, we spied some pretty large rounds on the curb, so we stopped to see if we could wrangle them into the truck. In the mean time, we saw the home owners so we asked to be sure they weren't spoken for. No-and could we just come help hold this rope while they dropped this tree? If we could, we could have that wood too...Of course we did, and in the process found that the older gentleman was trying to cut some pretty big trees with an electric pole saw (I have NO idea how they managed to get the bigger pieces cut!!). So, we offered to help...and ended up with the tree we helped drop that day, another tree, the remains of the one that was up front, and the promise of yet another if we could figure out how to safely drop it (it's leaning towards wires, and there are houses in other directions). It's all box elder. We still have to go back to get the rest of the last tree we dropped-once we figure out how to buck the thing, it's stalling the Farm Boss (it's got to be 4-5' in diameter, it's HUGE). So that's a spring project.
A few weeks ago we answered a CL ad for a 60' willow. Again, we have to figure out how to buck the big ole base-the home owner had the rest already bucked and even helped us haul it home with his HD!
Then this weekend, we answered another CL ad for a downed maple, already bucked. Spent yesterday walking piece by piece out from a backyard into the little winter DD and hauling it home-we still have about half the tree left to go, and some big rounds that will have to wait till we can cut them up because there's NO way we're carrying them out as is.
AND we have a downed cherry to go check out and buck and haul home at another location-DH got that lead from a fellow booth owner at the antique coop we're in.
LASTLY, we have a bunch of pine and maple rounds at our old house from our own tree and another scrounge DH got from CL in November.
As we were tossing the maple onto the "scrounge pile" yesterday we were joking that come spring we're going to be regreting this, lol. We ahave a HUGE pile already to C/S/S and it's not even all there yet! Of ccourse, come fall a year from now we'll be happy we did this when we're not buying wood. I just wish we had a bigger lot to use to stage and process-not to mention stack! Hopefully the scrounges keep coming...
A few acres within a reasonable distance for harvesting would be cost prohibitive-it just wouldn't pay to buy it and pay the taxes, it would be cheaper to just buy wood. We know someone with a farm, but they are over 50 miles from us, making it both cost prohibitive even once we get our trailer and illegal in NY (you can't move firewood more than 50 miles in NY).
