Denim Deb
More Precious than Rubies
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How big were the loads?
What did you do to be/become more self-reliant today?
- Thread starter tortoise
- Start date
Britesea
Sustainability Master
Conga Rats on the firewood score!
sumi
Rest in Peace 1980-2020
As much as I could fit my (poor) car! I'd say I have a largish truckload at the moment. I will have to go back a few more times and collect more, but this pile will keep me going for a bit. It's a start...
Beekissed
Mountain Sage
That's hard work, Sumi, and I admire your foraging and persistence...many folks would not work that hard for such a thing nowadays, nor would they think of hauling wood in their car. 
They say wood warms you three times...when you cut it and stack it, when you burn it and when you save money by doing so.
We've been getting wood lately as well, but have been getting it here and there all spring and summer too. Our final effort was buying a load of cured oak to keep up on the porch for days when the snow is too deep for us to cart wood in from the wood shed...having that better wood for the worst days also decreases our total wood use at that time. We don't have any dead oak on our property or we would cut our own. As it is, the wood guy is a young guy who really hustles to support his family, so we don't mind giving him some business each year. He said that last year he made $44K off his wood sales, though he had to split that money with the guys who help him, he still made a good profit.
Earlier in the year we bartered with a neighbor for loads of wood and gave him a riding mower that no longer worked in exchange. This week I had one of my boys come out and cut down some standing dead pines in the yard, so we'll have that as well.
We still have some large trees that fell during the winter that need cut up and split, so we'll be storing those as well.
This past week Mom and I~and purely by the grace of God, because we knew not what we were doing~got the carburetor cleaned out, the gaskets changed and everything put back on the wood splitter...and it worked! For the past couple of years it had been surging when it ran and was difficult to start, but this year it wouldn't start altogether so we changed the oil, changed the sparkplug...those didn't work. Meanwhile the pull cord broke, so that was replaced. Then we did the carburetor and that was the problem...starts right up and purrs like a kitten, so now we can split all the bigger wood. God was surely helping us that day because I had forgotten the order of some of the gaskets, so just winged it.
Today we went and got our utility trailer inspected at the state police barracks so we could get it titled and such. With that trailer we can haul more wood, manure, wood chips for the garden and anything else that is too dirty(yeah, she doesn't like to get her truck dirty
) or too big to put in the back of Mom's truck. I guess that was our step for today.
They say wood warms you three times...when you cut it and stack it, when you burn it and when you save money by doing so. We've been getting wood lately as well, but have been getting it here and there all spring and summer too. Our final effort was buying a load of cured oak to keep up on the porch for days when the snow is too deep for us to cart wood in from the wood shed...having that better wood for the worst days also decreases our total wood use at that time. We don't have any dead oak on our property or we would cut our own. As it is, the wood guy is a young guy who really hustles to support his family, so we don't mind giving him some business each year. He said that last year he made $44K off his wood sales, though he had to split that money with the guys who help him, he still made a good profit.
Earlier in the year we bartered with a neighbor for loads of wood and gave him a riding mower that no longer worked in exchange. This week I had one of my boys come out and cut down some standing dead pines in the yard, so we'll have that as well.
We still have some large trees that fell during the winter that need cut up and split, so we'll be storing those as well.
This past week Mom and I~and purely by the grace of God, because we knew not what we were doing~got the carburetor cleaned out, the gaskets changed and everything put back on the wood splitter...and it worked! For the past couple of years it had been surging when it ran and was difficult to start, but this year it wouldn't start altogether so we changed the oil, changed the sparkplug...those didn't work. Meanwhile the pull cord broke, so that was replaced. Then we did the carburetor and that was the problem...starts right up and purrs like a kitten, so now we can split all the bigger wood. God was surely helping us that day because I had forgotten the order of some of the gaskets, so just winged it.
Today we went and got our utility trailer inspected at the state police barracks so we could get it titled and such. With that trailer we can haul more wood, manure, wood chips for the garden and anything else that is too dirty(yeah, she doesn't like to get her truck dirty
) or too big to put in the back of Mom's truck. I guess that was our step for today.
sumi
Rest in Peace 1980-2020
@Beekissed I like that, warming you 3 times. For me, I could add a #4, the view from that hillside is simply breathtaking. Down onto a lake, island, swans(!), up into the forrest, it's so beautiful and peaceful up there. DS and I look for felled trees, branches, etc, so we don't harm what is there. So far we found plenty. Hopefully we will find enough to keep us warm for a few weeks.
I must take a pic for you all of my poor car, loaded with timber lol I do not have a vat number, so I can't buy a van and get it insured, I couldn't find a truck for sale, so I decided to buy the most spacious car I could find then? A 7-seater with the back seats tucked away and the next row folded down provides ample space for loading, so be it? It's messy though…
You remind me of a few years ago when we went on a compost making mission. Another car, a hatchback, collecting a few bags of dry cow manure, driving home… Someone smashed one of my car's windows and we didn't have it replaced yet, so with the wind from the open window... By the time we got home, the inside of the car and the 3 of us were completely covered in cow manure dust! We got out of the car, me, DH and a friend of ours, looked at each other and burst out laughing. It was all we could do.
I must take a pic for you all of my poor car, loaded with timber lol I do not have a vat number, so I can't buy a van and get it insured, I couldn't find a truck for sale, so I decided to buy the most spacious car I could find then? A 7-seater with the back seats tucked away and the next row folded down provides ample space for loading, so be it? It's messy though…
You remind me of a few years ago when we went on a compost making mission. Another car, a hatchback, collecting a few bags of dry cow manure, driving home… Someone smashed one of my car's windows and we didn't have it replaced yet, so with the wind from the open window... By the time we got home, the inside of the car and the 3 of us were completely covered in cow manure dust! We got out of the car, me, DH and a friend of ours, looked at each other and burst out laughing. It was all we could do.
Denim Deb
More Precious than Rubies
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B4 we got a truck, I had a station wagon. I don't know how many loads of wood I carried home in that.
Mini Horses
Sustainability Master
I gave up wood several years back when I had a chimney fire (birds in the outer section of a double flue) . Installed a propane heater instead. Haven't used in couple years as price of propane was more than gasoline for the car. This year, prices down, I plan to refill the tank for some use. I always keep a kero heater available "in case"....have heat pump.
Sooooooooo, for my self sufficiency increase today, I bought 2 AGH females. Got 2 males last Thurs, all are 8-9 wks old. DD says we will have to get past the "cute" factor to butcher them!! Assured her that would wear off in a couple of months.
I plan to freezer camp one of the boys and the other one will be used for the girls to be bred. Then he will be traded for another boar of different lineage. NO, not registered. NO, not wanting to do more than produce some small porkers for the freezer. Will sell most piglets for same purpose, keeping a couple for self to feed us. OK, that's the plan -- it's subject to change with the outcome of the porkchops & lard.
So far, they are curious, easy going, cute. The boys had no piggy smell -- I swear my buck is worse! -- the girls a little in the pen at pick-up but, wet at their place and not on grass. They are now!!!! They are loving the goat milk! (and I sure need a place for some of it) Plus I have access to "about" wkly excess veggies for them & chickens, goats, etc. Sure makes them all happy. Helps with the feed bills.
Seeing the adults when I got these pigs, I'm wondering if they are truly going to be large enough for a decent size chop![:\](/styles/default/xenforo/smilies/side.png "side :\")
The idea is that they produce for smaller families, etc., and forage more than root (although all pigs root!) so more food efficient. We shall see. Gonna hustle over to the herds board and look AGAIN to see if anyone has actually butchered one or just too cute
Sooooooooo, for my self sufficiency increase today, I bought 2 AGH females. Got 2 males last Thurs, all are 8-9 wks old. DD says we will have to get past the "cute" factor to butcher them!! Assured her that would wear off in a couple of months.
I plan to freezer camp one of the boys and the other one will be used for the girls to be bred. Then he will be traded for another boar of different lineage. NO, not registered. NO, not wanting to do more than produce some small porkers for the freezer. Will sell most piglets for same purpose, keeping a couple for self to feed us. OK, that's the plan -- it's subject to change with the outcome of the porkchops & lard.
So far, they are curious, easy going, cute. The boys had no piggy smell -- I swear my buck is worse! -- the girls a little in the pen at pick-up but, wet at their place and not on grass. They are now!!!! They are loving the goat milk! (and I sure need a place for some of it) Plus I have access to "about" wkly excess veggies for them & chickens, goats, etc. Sure makes them all happy. Helps with the feed bills.
Seeing the adults when I got these pigs, I'm wondering if they are truly going to be large enough for a decent size chop
The idea is that they produce for smaller families, etc., and forage more than root (although all pigs root!) so more food efficient. We shall see. Gonna hustle over to the herds board and look AGAIN to see if anyone has actually butchered one or just too cute
Denim Deb
More Precious than Rubies
- Joined
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I'll be interested in seeing how you do.
frustratedearthmother
Sustainability Master
Please keep us advised on the pig process! (and the process-ing when it's time). I've thought about raising some small-ish pigs too, just not ready for that yet. We did raise a couple barrows for the freezer a couple of years ago. They were way yummy and well worth the effort. But, actually breeding and raising is not on my list of "have done's" just yet.
