A Gardeners Forum Forums General Discussion The Banter Hall Coffehouse 2254 Come In The Welcoming Door!

Good morning. I slept a full 8 hours.
Yes, we cut and split and burn about 10 cords a year. I can split with a maul and wedge but am very happy I don't have to any more. I can still cut and split but am happy for any help I can get with that too. I am glad I can, though. Very grateful for my general good health.
I am also very grateful I don't have your propane bill, Bill. I fill my 250 gal, tank twice a year. Actually a little less because every couple of years I only need to fill it once.
Now it is funny because I got this far in my post and a neighbor came up with a truck and trailer asking for some wood for a family pit roast. I had to go out and tell him what he could have and what I'd prefer he left for me. I can still afford to be a little picky and keep the hardwoods for myself. So I keep the maples, oaks, walnut and eucalyptus stuff and share the rest. Cleaner burning for my stoves. I also have a separate pile of fruit wood for my friends with smokers.

You burn Walnut????

We have bunches of black walnut trees here wild. i have walnut burls sitting around and some sliced for possible side or coffee tables and things. The rest we burn. It smells different than other woods. like sugar maples smell like burned sugar.

And almost all of my wood is 'fallen' wood. A little from tree trimming. I grow stuff not kill it most of the time.

Wow! How big are the Walnut burls? Cool

Well, I have one burl waiting for a neighbor to haul away right now from a fallen black walnut that is about tree feet across. (But don't worry, it left me a lot of babies before it bit the dust and they are producing for the critters) He'll need something big to move it. I can't even roll it over out of my way.
A lot of our trees go over in our 100+ plus mile an hour wind gusts after an El Nino year or just a heavy rain. We have pretty loose sandy soil (DG). I still have a bunch of elderberries, dead and broken to haul down off of the hill.
Cutting a eucalyptus doesn't kill it. It regrows stronger and you get more fire sized wood off it in a couple of years. Unless you grind the stump. It burns clean like hardwoods but is much easier to cut than most. growing my own here for both a windbreak and for wood. They mostly stand up to winds well. It grows straight long branches. John put up a lot of rustic fencing all around the property with them. They are slow to decay.

For someone without a lot of last minute stuff to do, I kept busy today. Without going outdoors to work. I made bacon wrapped lil smokies to have as appetizers tomorrow with the tamales my oldest daughter picked up to bring. I baked more cookies to share with whomever. And I am going to cook a batch of bran muffins for my youngest. She has been really enjoying them lately.

Well, I certainly overdid it today and provoked some big chest pain. I forgot the part about "taking it easy!" Well, that is simple enough to do when you feel like a new woman. I just plain forgot.

So I laid down for the afternoon and stayed down til the pain stopped. Now I'm up but going a bit easy.

All the presents are wrapped. We had our traditional Christmas Eve feast. I let Maxi peek at a few small gifts.

Now I've made a hot toddy and am heading off to bed. It is cold and I am achy, so

Safe away home O my palies and sweet dreams to you all.



Merme

I have been crazy busy--and I should keep it up but I am going to bed---


.........Merry Christmas to all and to all a Good Night !!!

I hope you sleep well, Carol. And that tomorrow brings you all of your wishes come true.

And back to you both, also.
I am not digging for graphics. Maybe after I have some more coffee.

Merry Christmas!


Merme

And a good night to all. I am going to test out my new pillow tonight. I love a new pillow.

To copy Bill's words--"A good morning after" to you all.

It would be nice going out & finding some bargains, but I really do not have the energy left to fight the crowds & the traffic.
I am home alone---The girls are gone & Rod is foo delivering the trunks to them and then h e is going out to spend a day at my Dad's property in the country.---he likes the solitude.---I will have my own solitude here in the "warm"

Good morning. My new pillow must have worked really well. I slept in pretty late.

You very likely needed the extra rest--so glad the new pillow helped

We didn't get as much done on the bird feeder as I had hoped. Somehow we ran out of materials again. I guess I should have looked back at my other misadventures before I started planning this project.
Initially it was only going to be eight feet long by five feet wide.
Then I stretched it out to seven feet wide and added a metal roof.
Then I found a couple BIG beams so I had to buy a big load of lumber.
Then I found another BIG beam and I ran out of lumber again....
To eventually be continued.... elsewhere

Yes, projects go like that, Bill. They grow on you. Have you taken any pictures as this project has been growing?

I've taken a few pictures every time there is a noticible change. The birds are already liking it a lot! I sure hope we get some roofing up (its mostly framed) before the January snowstorms...

I hope so too, Bill. I hope I get my ivy ripped out before the next rainstorm passes through.

I for one would like to see them. Bill.

That must be some bird feeder.

nighty night everyone.
sweet dreams

Good night, Carol.
I am also going to bed. I have plans to work outside tomorrow. I am looking forward to it.

I can't believe I'm the first one here this morning. Wake up everyone.

I got up and got busy today. I have been threatening to clean my smokestacks for a week and finally got to it today. They are up and running again.
I have some hired help tearing up some more ivy.
I am going out in a bit to find some shelves for DVD's. And maybe some other shopping. I'll take Ted to Mac Donald's. He will be happy!

Goodnight to everyone---
Tina sounds like yo had a busy day--I bet Ted was happy about McDonalds

Good night JunieGirl. Rest well.

He was happy with MacD's today. Thank you, Carol. I am also heading to bed shortly. I want to get up early tomorrow and go to Home Depot before I pick up my helper.

Good morning. I am up and getting ready to go out. I am glad Home Depot opens so early for us early birds (and contractors). Can I pick up anything that you may need too?

I need 8- 2x4x8' and 8- 1x4x10', Pick out some nice straight ones please?

I could probably fit the 8 footers in my van but the 10 footer not so much. I got rid of my flat bed truck last month. (or was that earlier this month?)

Thanks Sheri
your welcome, Tina

Good morning everyone

Hello JunieGirl, Tina and Bill. I could use a few things from Home Depot but you're already back and probably finished with your job Tina. The early bird catches the worm.

I am back now. I went to Home Depot, Walmart, Lowe's and my grocery store and then picked up my helper. He is out tearing up ivy for me. And I have baked a batch of banana bran muffins (fed my helper) and set up some of the storage units I bought for Ted's stuff.
The units are not what I really want but until what I want surfaces or I can build it, these will do to tidy some stuff away. I filled them and Ted proceeded to empty them again. We will learn together. He takes time to change.

Hello,
boy had a time getting in to be able to post... would give me everything but the cursor to start typing... weird...
Tina you did a lot of shopping- I can relate to Ted not wanting to change... he will have to see his things in the new space for a while before it looks right to him...
we still have snow on the ground and it is still cold abut 30* all day...
It's been a quiet day for me- no boys- Joe's at work--- I straightened up a lot of stuff- put stuff away, read a while and now could take a nap but Joe is due home soon so guess that won't happen... Carrie is supposed to be here soon to pick up the lefover ham- it's way to much for us and it will be one or two meals for them... sure was good though... got her roaster oven and some stuff the boys left too,needs to go to her home and take up space.... LOL!
Well short and sweet- going to go read some more and see if anything else needs to find it's home again...
Nana

Popping in to say good night. I got carried away cleaning stuff up. Boy! are we junk collectors around here. I am getting rid of a lot though.

Good morning. More work on my agenda today. Some indoor, some outdoor.

I need to get rid of some stuff, too Tina--but I am such a "what if I need this later" type of person./

The good news ?? I finally found my smaller roaster---so now I know that the larger roaster IS the one I was looking for on Christmas. But it is just as well that I did not use it. According to the Roaster's internet site, my bird was too big for the roaster I have anyway.
I do love turkey that comes out of a roaster though.--IF you ignore the pale color of it's skin.