How are you doing today?

[TkoK83Spy]

How's those shoulders and forearms feeling today SG!?

[Ankerson]

Went to the store early this morning, food...

A lot of people wearing masks and the store was cleaning the carts as they were used etc.

That’s what they’re doing in the stores here, too. Right now, most people I see are wearing masks or scarves over their noses and mouths, because it’s the recommendation. I wear one of the basic blue paper masks I bought a while ago for gardening. It won’t stop the virus, but it’s a face covering to potentially protect others. I also wear vinyl gloves when I shop.

Oh, yeah, another store policy now is you can’t bring your own shopping bags in anymore, so you have to keep your bags in the car and bag your groceries in the parking lot.

But that’s OK. You simply make adjustments.

Jim

Jim,

Not bad here in Raleigh as far as the cases go so I haven't broke out the mask yet.

But I do wash my hands when I get home etc.

Jim

[SG89]

How's those shoulders and forearms feeling today SG!?

Not good, Rick!
Lol.
Didn't get enough punishment yesterday so I'm going to get a sledge later today

[flasharry]

another day here in Fort Chicken.. Got 8 cm of snow overnight.. still carrying on..

[bearfacedkiller]

That estwing fireside friend works well for kindling. I don’t know if it has a hardened poll or not but if it does then don’t whack the poll with a sledge.

I split about five cords a year with a 36” Fiskars Super Splitter and it is awesome. We are firewood snobs around here because we have lots of hardwood and harsh winters and the fiskars works well. The price is good and most hardware stores carry it. If you need a better tool give it a look.

In the next month or two I will be splitting about seven cords. :)

[SG89]

Thanks for the advice Darby. Living here on the surface of the sun we don't have much need for firewood. I don't even have a fireplace, just wanted to cut it into smaller pieces for the brush collection crew and save a bit for my firepit. I guess I will have to buy some new tools after all. Oh no... Lol

[JuPaul]

That estwing fireside friend works well for kindling. I don’t know if it has a hardened poll or not but if it does then don’t whack the poll with a sledge.

I split about five cords a year with a 36” Fiskars Super Splitter and it is awesome. We are firewood snobs around here because we have lots of hardwood and harsh winters and the fiskars works well. The price is good and most hardware stores carry it. If you need a better tool give it a look.

In the next month or two I will be splitting about seven cords. :)

We used to split all our wood by hand. Our cabin is wierd - the original cabin is heated by wood stove, but there's a newer addition that has propane heat. Anyhoo...two years ago we got a hydraulic log splitter. Oh man, it's so nice! I can't say I miss the axe... :p

[TkoK83Spy]

Oh come on Julia! There's nothing like cutting down your own tree, splitting, stacking, transporting, restacking, bringing to the garage to stack, bringing it inside and then finally burning...just to save yourself $300 or so :p

[The Meat man]

I enjoy splitting wood by hand. It's fun exercise, warms you up, and is much faster than a hydraulic splitter.

[OrangeShoes]

Reading medical journals and health-related articles while keeping myself fit doing exercise and eating a healthy and balanced diet.

[bearfacedkiller]

Oh come on Julia! There's nothing like cutting down your own tree, splitting, stacking, transporting, restacking, bringing to the garage to stack, bringing it inside and then finally burning...just to save yourself $300 or so :p

I get all my wood for free. It is a lot of work but it saves me about $1600 in fuel oil, keeps me outside and prevents me from getting old and fat. I also prefer burning scavenged wood from my area than fuel oil that is shipped cross country or around the world.

It is also just something I enjoy. :)

Took down a dying Red Maple yesterday that was about to fall on the chicken coop. It’s a large tree and only about 100ft from the wood shed. Woo hoo!

[TkoK83Spy]

Oh come on Julia! There's nothing like cutting down your own tree, splitting, stacking, transporting, restacking, bringing to the garage to stack, bringing it inside and then finally burning...just to save yourself $300 or so :p

I get all my wood for free. It is a lot of work but it saves me about $1600 in fuel oil, keeps me outside and prevents me from getting old and fat. I also prefer burning scavenged wood from my area than fuel oil that is shipped cross country or around the world.

It is also just something I enjoy. :)

Took down a dying Red Maple yesterday that was about to fall on the chicken coop. It’s a large tree and only about 100ft from the wood shed. Woo hoo!

I agree, I do love being in the woods and getting physical with a splitting maul. Might as well do it while I'm still young'-ish haha! A few years back my parents had a cherry oak go down on their property and got me 3 cord of wood from that tree alone. My dad chainsawed it into 18" lengths to fit my fireplace and then the rest was on me. A lot of work, especially in that late June heat, but that wood burned great. Very nice and even heat and fantastic smell to it. It sure is nice once you can finally burn it and enjoy the heat with a nice drink by the fire, knowing that you made it happen :cool:

[bearfacedkiller]

I’m not gonna lie, it’s a labor of love. I probably works out to $5 an hour by the time I’m done. But... chainsaws are fun, its good exercise, it keeps me outside and I can suck down a lot of beer while stacking it up and moving it around.

I think I tried to do the math and it took me about 40 hours to split 6 cords by hand. That is me doing it for an hour or two here and there throughout the spring and early summer. Of course that doesn’t count bucking it up or bringing it home.



Getting started on next year with this beech tree that blew down.

[SG89]

Used a splitting wedge and a sledge on some logs today... Tired me out! So glad I don't have to do this on a regular basis

[JuPaul]

Oh come on Julia! There's nothing like cutting down your own tree, splitting, stacking, transporting, restacking, bringing to the garage to stack, bringing it inside and then finally burning...just to save yourself $300 or so :p

Right?! We still do everything else ourselves...down the tree (plenty of standing dead trees around, or we find blow downs), chainsaw it up, cart it back to the cabin in the tractor, stack the rounds to season, etc. But yeah, no more swinging an axe! Bringing wood into the property would be a pain, too, though, and half the time we're clearing blowdowns off our trails anyways, so might as well use the wood.

[JuPaul]

I enjoy splitting wood by hand. It's fun exercise, warms you up, and is much faster than a hydraulic splitter.

You must be better at splitting than I am, because our splitter could kick my a** in a race! It doesn't get tired...

[The Meat man]

I enjoy splitting wood by hand. It's fun exercise, warms you up, and is much faster than a hydraulic splitter.

You must be better at splitting than I am, because our splitter could kick my a** in a race! It doesn't get tired...

Well, depends how easily the wood splits. If it's good straight grained wood, most times I can split it with just one quick blow. If it's something stringy and tough like elm, a hydraulic splitter would probably be faster. Elm can be nasty. I've hammered wedges into it flush without starting a crack.

[Doc Dan]

I hope you all have enough food laid up. I’ve been buying a little bit extra each time I go shopping. I try not to be a hog as others need food too. I’ve got enough for 3 months or so. Meat is the real problem. I’ve got enough for a month at normal consumption as my freezer is not large.

[Ankerson]

Went ahead got around to ordering a new Recliner to replace the old one that broke about 2 months ago. I was sitting in it and heard this bang and one side dropped lower than the other one. Now it doesn't rock anymore and the foot rest started falling down easy awhile back and the fabric tore years ago so... Have been putting it off as you can tell for awhile. Wasn't exactly the best quality chair in the 1st place as there is a lot of things I just don't like about it and never have. As it got older the comfort level really went down hill. The arm rests aren't all that great anymore either.

Had it for about 10 years now, not in the greatest shape these days so I figured I had better get a new one before it falls apart.

Took all the lessons from owning this one into consideration and did the research and got a good one this time.

[prndltech]

I hope you all have enough food laid up. I’ve been buying a little bit extra each time I go shopping. I try not to be a hog as others need food too. I’ve got enough for 3 months or so. Meat is the real problem. I’ve got enough for a month at normal consumption as my freezer is not large.

I have food and water covered all the time. Some think I’m crazy... but more of them think I’m less crazy now! At least 2 months of food for 3 people, stabilized water and a way to filter even the nastiest of water should it be necessary.... peace of mind for maybe around $2,000 is PRICELESS should the need arise.






Edited to add*** I also have bidet attachments in both restrooms and a hammock out back... it’s like I’ve been waiting for this my whole life.