Reflections of katlupe: firewood

Showing posts with label firewood. Show all posts

Saturday, March 09, 2013

Logs For Cutting Into Firewood

Logging Truck arrived this morning!

Our second load of logs to cut into firewood arrived this morning. The horses seemed more interested this time than before. Probably because it was a pleasant morning and they were outside and ready for some sort of distraction.

Close up view of the sizes!

It is lucky for us, that my husband has two different sizes of chainsaws. As you can see the logs were assorted sizes. Wood is precious this year. All the loggers who sell it say they are selling out and have to get more. Since spring is right around the corner, this load should last us, right into December. Depends on the weather.

Moving to firewood spot for unloading!

Heating with wood is our only heating supply here. So running out of wood is not an option. This is the first year we have purchased firewood. The best way to purchase it is buying the logs and cutting and splitting them yourself. Yeah, its hard work, but better than paying someone else to do it for you!

Moving the logs!

The logger moves the logs quite easily with his equipment!

Ready for cutting and splitting!

Sunday, January 06, 2013

Winter Time Means Keeping Warm

Cold weather means trying to keep warm!

Cutting and splitting wood for wood stoves is a constant job!

It is an easier job when you have help!

Keeping paths and driveway cleared are essential!

Snow, snow, snow............everywhere!

Wednesday, November 28, 2012

Our Firewood Logs On Wordless Wednesday

Sunday, November 04, 2012

From Logs To The Fire, Preparing Right Now

Getting Started!

Last Saturday we had our firewood delivered. It was a load of logs and I told about it in this post, Our Firewood Supply Arrives At Peaceful Forest. It is the first year that we have paid for firewood. It will be so much easier for my husband though. Now he is all finished with cutting trees down. Especially since we want to keep the forest around us and not cut all our trees down. I love trees, and am always sad to see one fall, or be cut down.

Making the cut!

As much as neither, my husband, nor I, like to use gasoline, we have to use it for the present time. Our chainsaw is a big one and it uses gasoline and they make a lot of fumes. I hate that he has to breathe them while he is cutting with it. Maybe someday, an electric one will be something we can power as we build our system larger. Last year he bought a crosscut saw for the unpredictable future. If gasoline prices keep climbing, he can always use that. No fumes, quiet and works well. He used it last year in the woods and he really appreciated the quiet of being out there with it.

Falling off!

We have a smaller chainsaw, that is lighter and he can use that when his arm gets hurting. He had an accident in 2002 that crushed his right elbow, and at times that is an issue for him. He ordered a part for it and we are waiting on that, so for now he will have to use the big saw. The big saw he has had since 2000, and it was a really good investment. It has cut a lot of firewood for us. He is really good at sharpening it and doing the preventative maintenance that is needed to keep it in tip top condition. That is very important as we depend on it!

Ready to be split now!

After the wood is cut, it needs to be split for whichever stove it will go in. Our cook stove takes smaller size logs and the big one, of course, takes large ones.Since we first moved here, we have burned all types of wood. Even green wood, which most people will discourage you from using. I don't recommend doing it, especially if you are new to wood stoves and firewood. My husband burned whatever we had as we did not have the time to wait for the wood to season. A tornado hit us and took down over 300 trees on our property and we needed the heat. So we used it anyway. Keeping our chimney cleaned through out the whole wood burning season is essential, no matter what kind of wood you burn.

Splitting wood!

You can use a wood splitter to split your wood. We do not. My son and my husband usually work together and get it done pretty quick. Or at least, as much as we need. This year, we had issues with my father's stroke and death that kept us away from home. So we were late in getting our projects done for winter. We knew we were going to be buying logs so didn't feel frantic about getting prepared. Life happens.

Seasoned, dry wood, ready to be stacked!

It is a good feeling to know you have the firewood waiting to be cut and split. It is the way we live since we live a life of self-sufficiency and preparing. Preparing for what lies ahead, no matter what it will be! Knowing my husband, I know the logs won't be sitting out there too long. Then we plan on buying another load. Security for a homesteader is knowing that your pantry is full and your woodpile is waiting!

Sunday, October 28, 2012

Our Firewood Supply Arrives At Peaceful Forest

Our Load Arrives!

Yesterday our load of logs arrived for our firewood supply. This is the first year that we have purchase our firewood. We decided that we have cut enough wood from our own property for now. Living in the forest, surrounded by trees, makes it easy to just cut a tree for firewood. But we do not want to clear our forest anymore than we have.

Unloading logs!

My husband had talked to the logger a few days ago. Yesterday, he called and said he had our load on his truck. Oh boy! We were all excited to hear that! When he drove up with those logs we all hurried out to see the load. I was not disappointed!

Our firewood pile!

"That is all our logs?" I asked my husband. "Yes," he answered. I could not believe that was only one load. It looked like more than one load. I think we got a lot of logs for our money. It was fascinating to watch the logs be unloaded. We sat outside watching the logs being unloaded. I am very happy with our choice of loggers too, as he is right in our area. He gave us a good amount of wood for our money.

My son, enjoying his firewood work yesterday!

Now all my husband has to do is cut the wood and split it. He does not mind doing that. In fact, he kind of likes it. The wood pile is not far from our front door so hauling it will be much easier. We can bring it in through the front door which is not far from our hearth and wood stove. Come on winter! We are ready!

Monday, January 23, 2012

Firewood Harvest

I love the forest!

When you heat with wood it is a big plus if you have your own supply of firewood. Instead of buying wood, then you are cutting it. By taking down all the dead wood, it gives more room and light to the new trees just coming in. Too many trees, too close together, limits the sunlight coming in down below, to the ones just trying to get started. I have replanted a few pine trees myself, putting them in my front yard along the road. Presently, we have room for a few more.

Woods behind our house

Many trees die and stand for years until a wind knocks them over. On our land, we had a tornado take down over 300 trees, which we used for firewood for many years. Often a tree doesn't even appear to be dead, grows leaves and like the apple trees, even fruit. Then all of a sudden the tree falls over and you find it is all rotted inside.

Their wild instinct is to eat wood!

Hardwood is a good choice for burning in your wood stove. Hardwood according to Wikipedia: "Hardwoods have a more complex structure than softwoods. The dominant feature separating "hardwoods" from softwoods is the presence of pores, or vessels.The vessels may show considerable variation in size, shape of perforation plates (simple, scalariform, reticulate, foraminate), and structure of cell wall, such as spiral thickenings."

Cherry, elm, pine and oak

The hardwood we have in our forest and surrounding area here in upstate NY are Maple, Oak, Elm, Cherry and Poplar (or Aspen, as it is referred to). Elm had some years ago been victims of Dutch Elm disease and were history. Now though, our forest and surrounding area is rich with elms. They are everywhere and our forest is full of them. When we first moved here, Cherry, was plentiful. And I so love a fire made of cherry. Oh, the smell is so comforting! The forest changes over time though, now the cherry is not as plentiful as it once was. More Oak is coming up. The seeds will lay dormant for many years and all of a sudden, trees come up that you hadn't seen before. Nature's surprise!

Trees surround us!

Some people say not to use pine, a softwood, for wood stoves. We do though. It gives you a hot fire and will build up creosote in the chimney, but my husband cleans our chimney a lot, monthly. So its not much of a problem for us. If I need a hot fire for cooking something that requires a high temp, I will always make a fire with some pine. Pine is plentiful here and I'd hate to waste it. Mixing a softwood with a hardwood is something we do. It extends the softwood's burning time.

Ah........split firewood!

Sunday, January 15, 2012

Cold, But Beautiful Morning!

Cold, But Beautiful Morning!

This morning my husband awoke to his horse, Dark Shadow, whinnying loudly. He hurried up and got dressed, and went outside to check on her. She usually does that when she wants him for some reason. And usually it is important. She doesn't just do that all the time.They had eaten all their night hay, and needed more.........it was cold! Hay warms them up fast. So he gave them more and went back inside.

Hay Keeps Horses Warm In Cold Temps!

He came in and started the job of getting the big heating wood stove opened up and then adding wood. He started the kerosene heater in the bathroom. Unfortunately, it had been moved, and the wick had become crooked, so it smoked. After he fixed it, we had a warm bathroom.

Below Zero This Morning!

We started off with temps of ten below zero, in a bit it had come up two degrees. After he got the stoves cranking to warm up the house, he went out to the woods quickly and brought back more kindling. We had been lax on stocking up kindling. So that won't happen again!

Tightening the chain

We have been getting our own wood and only buy some when we come across a great deal. Soon though, we will be getting our own wood lot since we do not want to cut our forest down. Up until now, we have used only dead wood or fallen trees. After our tornado in 2000, we heated with those trees for years.

Getting ready to add some more wood!

Once our fire is going in our big heating wood stove, you are warm and cozy. In fact, whoever sits in the chair in front of the stove, is almost guaranteed to fall asleep! The fire does that to you for some reason. I make it a point to never sit there. I am not one to take a nap during the daytime. The sun is now shining on our homestead and bringing in power to our solar panels. Just a busy morning here.........on our forest homestead.

Callie and Patches keeping warm!

Thursday, November 18, 2010

Planning For Winter On Your Homestead

The road to our homestead!

There is no question, heating with wood keeps you warm. So warm that most of the time I am sitting here in shorts while I work. I only put on warm clothes when I go outside. My husband always says heating with wood heats him twice, when he is cutting it and carrying it and when it is in the stove heating the house. So true. Our wood stove in the living room is rather big and is great in the real cold time of winter. But this fall has been fairly warm for upstate New York.

I wrote a post in the past called Self Reliance - Today's Topic Is Heating. That post explains more about heating with wood. Of course, there are various ways to heat your home. I really like the wood heat as it warms you immediately, right down to your core. Once you get warm you stay warm. The other types of heat turn on and off. On and off. You get cold and then it finally comes on. I remember well turning my thermostat up till the furnace kicked on. My mother had me do it many times at her house while she was freezing waiting for it to come on. Of course with wood stoves you just may be warmer than you like. So I wear shorts. You could open a window a bit or if you have an enclosed porch you could open the door to that and let it heat up too.

Our forest

We have taken about all the trees we want off our own property for the time being. Now it is just downed wood and dead trees that we are using. We plan on buying some loads of logs in the next few months and letting them season for next year. That way will be easier on my husband as he is working with a crushed elbow and both of his feet have gotten bad. So I would like his work load to lessen. I mean he does jobs for me that I can't do now because of my knees. So if I can help him by buying the logs we will do it.

Firewood

Planning for the winter is just what you do when you live out in the country. Planning by stocking up your food supply, your wood supply, your water supply and of course planning for the snow that will eventually come. For us that means shoveling paths, and keeping it clear enough for hauling in hay for our horses twice a month. We get a lot of snow out here and I am not complaining as the snow helps to keep our water table full for using a lot of water all year long. Horses drink a lot of water daily. I take hot baths in a big claw foot bath tub. I can several times a month. All of that uses water. To live with a shallow well and never have a problem with it having enough water is a good thing.

Friday, May 14, 2010

Cash Flow On the Homestead

Adding to your cash flow is the hardest thing to do. But if you find ways to cut your cost of living that should give you a little more cash. Here are some ways I have found to really cut down on cash going out.

One big saving has been having our own energy system. Take your electric bill and add it up for the year. Then multiply it for the amount of years you have lived in your home. I have lived here for almost eleven years now. My electric bill to live here would have been costly. At least $100. a month. This house is old and not insulated so if we were using a furnace that would have been running a lot. Plus, we have two computers and in the past we had the big desktop ones. Now we have three laptops, because my son has been living with us and he has his laptop too.

Our last house was a two bedroom ranch house we rented in 1997-99 and the bill ran approximately $119. a month. So this is not an out of line figure. At $100. a month, the annual amount paid would be $1200. and for 11 years that would come to $13,200. Now it doesn't sound like a lot of money. But I could have taken that same amount, or got a loan and put in an awesome solar system. Then pay for it monthly like you do the electric bill. It would be paid for now and from now on our electric would be free. Now that sounds good doesn't it? To eliminate that $100. a month bill. I know! I know! Most people I know, tell me how cheap their electric bill is and how they just love paying it! That is their choice. Not mine. If it was only $10. a month.............I'd still choose to have my own system. It gives you independence and that is why I chose this lifestyle in the first place! I hate being told what to do...............

Unfortunately this is not our wood pile!

Another way to be independent and add to your cash flow is by providing your own fuel for heating. We use wood and have taken trees down off our small piece of land while we have been clearing it. It was pretty much all woods right up to the house. Firewood is a lot of work and I would never say it wasn't. But if you provide it yourself then the cost is your hard work and chainsaw costs. I have never figured out what we have saved over the years. There are times when the weather is not cold enough for the wood stove so we use a kerosene heater during those times and try not to use it unless we have to.

One of our raised beds in 2009

A garden saves you so much money! Plus it allows you to eat those vegetables and fruits that are too pricey for your wallet. You can grow whatever you want. Start the seeds early in your house and get a head start on the growing season. Grow as much as you can, and can or freeze it for the winter months. Now this is where you can make a big difference in your cash flow!

By growing your vegetables and fruits you can afford to buy meat from local farmers. Or try to find a way to buy meat in bulk and it will save more money. You can sometimes make a special deal with a farmer.

Another way I have found to save is by following a low carb diet. I call it a food plan not a diet as it is my way of eating for life. Now most people will say it is an expensive way to eat. But I have found it is exactly the opposite. The reason being that if I live on low carbs, no processed foods and no white flour or sugar or artificial sweeteners.................that saves you A LOT of money right there! Just look in other people's shopping carts and see how much of that stuff is in there. Adds up to a lot of money. I try to buy only some dairy products, fresh meats, some low carb mayonnaise, mustard and ingredients to make my own salad dressings and condiments. Just think how much that saves? It is healthier and makes you feel great as soon as you have been on it the first two weeks. And if you need to lose weight it does that too.

I have been working on buying some of our supplies online. That saves me not only the gas of running around to stores, but the time. My time is really stretched..............and I work at home! Maybe that is why. I have been finding that ordering supplies from Alice is a good thing! Just fill my cart and order pet foods, personal supplies and household supplies. Free shipping. I also save money by shopping at Netrition and they only charge $4.95 for whatever size order you have. I buy all my low carb bread mixes, almond meal, etc. there. Very quick shipping for me since they in Albany, NY. You can find online sites yourself that sell the products you use. In the long run it saves me much money.......puts that savings in my cash flow.

Just search through your budget for things that take your cash and see what you can do to cut those costs. It is very expensive to live now. We are in a major depression and trying to make ends meet is not easy. So I do what I can do. How about you?

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