Got Wood?

"I hammered up the trail, 

passing rocks and trees as if they were standing still."

--Red Fisher

Since I'm "riding the pine" (on the bench) regarding regular trail running, the trees ARE standing still. What an opportunity to take a closer look at these forests and learn what wood stands in this rich area of the Monadnock Region. 

Helping to haul and split wood this fall also provided an outdoor classroom along with several daily lessons as I feed the stove. My teacher hasn't advanced my lessons to speaking in caudes or Latin ligni lingo— yet.  But he is schooling me with some pop quizzes from the wood pile. 
As we gather the split logs & limbs from a seasoned pile, load our hand carriers, and restock the wood bin, I do my best to name the trees before, saying thanks and so long as I feed another log to the flames.  And, just when I think I've nailed it, timber turns to ash.

Dave heats primarily with wood from his land that he cuts with his chainsaw(s). He's still cleaning up the fallen trees from the ice storm a few years ago, and selects trees that are part of a longer-term "bring back the field" plan. He estimates his gasoline consumption per season between three to five gallons, to operate his saws, tractor and splitter. There's the manual labor, too, four cords later.

Chop your own wood and it will warm you twice.

—Henry Ford 

We joked that the wood warms you w'acres more. I estimate about 10+ times: traveling to the tree, sectioning & cutting, loading & unloading, lifting to the splitter (&/or splitting by hand),  catching from splitting block and neatly stacking for seasoning. Then perhaps relocating the wood to a more accessible location, carrying bundles to stove area, and loading the stove. HEAT.

Some Northern Woodlands fuel for thought.

I pine for Pin Cherry!

Inspiration: Peter Galbert's Chair Notes blog. 

A Resource for Windsor Chair Makers and Woodworkers. 

The Wood Database: By Woodworkers, For Woodworkers.