Gathering Wood and Putting Away Firewood

Now that maple sugaring season is over, my primary outdoor activity is replacing the wood we've burned heating our home, cooking and making maple syrup. This winter was very cold and seems to be going on forever. Today, April 23rd, it's in the 30's with snow flurries. The stove is keeping us warm and is cooking our meal for tonight. We've burned over six cords of wood this heating season making room for another six cords for the 2016 heating season. We still have five cords of well seasoned wood for next season.

The Lighter Colored Wood on the Left Is for Next Heating Season, the Darker Colored Wood on the Right Replaces Half of What We Burned This Heating Season

Today I cut down a few dead cherry trees and placed lengths of trunk on the trailer. I cut up wood to the largest pieces I can readily handle, usually two or three times as long as readily fit into the stove firebox. This minimizes handling and trips to load the trailer. I can get a half cord load of wood on the trailer if I place larger pieces two deep on the bottom and cover these with ever smaller diameter limbs. 

A Half Cord Load of Wood

Same Load as Above with One Side of Cart Removed Showing Large Pieces on Bottom and Tree Limbs on Top, Chain Saw in Its Holster

I try to minimize burning diesel fuel in the tractor and gasoline/oil in the chainsaw by using them very sparingly. Gathering wood for one heating season takes less than one gallon of each. I'll eventually use solar panels to charge batteries that will enable accomplishing both tasks without burning fossil fuels by using an electric tractor and electric chainsaws. I've been removing all the limbs smaller than a thumb with hand clippers and slightly larger ones with lopping shears. Limbs up to two inches diameter I cut with an efficient hand saw. I've cut a few of the foot diameter logs into stove lengths with a crosscut saw but it would take me too long to do all of them this way. There are gardens to plant! To cut logs to length I now use a corded electric chainsaw or chop saw that can be readily solarized with photovoltaic panels and a battery bank. Maybe next year. 

Newly Stacked Wood Showing Halves, Quarters and Sixths of Logs and a Variety of Smaller Limbs: Sizes Reduced to Dimensions That Fit Through the Firebox Door

When I cut down a tree, I try and use as much of the wood as possible. Since you need kindling to start fires and burning any wood produces heat, any wood that fits through the stove firebox door is good. I leave only rotten wood and twigs too small to readily handle on the forest floor or hedgerow.