Reusing the trees

 It's that time again...time to get a new load of wood in for the winter.  We buy a half a cord every two or three years just so that we can have a fire in our fireplace on those really cold winter days.  Is there anything that smells better than a wood fire?


This year we decided to go pick up our own load rather than finding someone to deliver it.  Irv found a guy where we could go pick up a truck load for $80 which is really cheap.  The guy lives in the Black Forest.  A massive fire roared through the Black Forest back in 2013.  509 houses were destroyed by the fire including this guy's house.  He's been clearing his land of all the burnt trees and is slowing chopping them up and selling them for firewood.  Quite a monumental task in my opinion.


We ended up talking with him for over an hour.  He's a very industrious retired guy and has some businesses on the side.  This piece of equipment above is used for clearing snow from parking lots and roadways.  He explained how it all works...basically it melts the snow with heated water.  It eliminates cities from having to haul dump trucks of snow back and forth to the dump site saving time and manpower. 


He also bought this dump truck in Idaho and uses it to haul big loads of firewood.  I love old trucks like this...it seems like something Ree Drummond would have on her ranch.  Notice there aren't any door handles...hey open with a fob. We got to see the inside of the cab and also the engine--everything was immaculate and well maintained. 


After gabbing for quite a while it was time to get to work.  I think it's exceptional that this guy is repurposing all these old trees...giving them a second chance to be used (but that's the tree hugger in me).  He told us his neighbor dug a huge pit and buried all his burnt trees.  

This was the first time we had gone into the Black Forest since the big fire.  It was an eyeopener even all these years later.  Huge areas of open space that used to covered by trees.  The guy we bought the wood from has rebuilt his house and he said the one good thing is that now he has a view of Pikes Peak since the trees are gone.  The firefighters told him the fire got up to 2500 degrees and everything was incinerated even the porcelain toilet bowls.


After stopping for lunch on the drive home it was time to unload all that wood.


Now it is all neatly stacked and ready for one of those really cold days.  We haven't seen a flake of snow yet and have only had a couple 30 degree days.  As much as I enjoy this beautiful weather, I know we need the moisture desperately.

Has winter arrived at your house yet?


Comments

Yogi♪♪♪ said…
It's cool that the guy is cutting up and selling his wood. I love our natural gas fireplace. Our years in Eagar, AZ cured me of the romance of wood fires. Hauling the logs, sawing them, splitting and stacking and then the daily haul from the stack to the house. Good workout right!!
November 22, 2021 at 8:09 AM
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