DH slacked off this summer...

I know that sassafras makes really good campfire wood. The oil in the wood helps it burn even if its wet, raining or snowing. But, I think the oil also can build up in wood stoves and chimneys and cause a fire hazard so, maybe not the best choice.

That was less helpful that intended, sorry!

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Jessica

Homestead / Nature Journal ~ A path is made by walking it ~

Where did you get the idea that chopping wood was reserved for males? He has probably been very busy doing other important things. You too can chop wood. It is allowed, so help him out here. Get to it, anything is better than nothing.

If you have access to a woodlot select some wood (trees) that are dead but still standing. Cut them down, cut them up and take them home to burn.

Exactly. I have a 12 inch fan blowing air across the top of my stove all winter, just to keep the house warm and the stove cool. With dry wood I can damp down the stove and still keep the surface temperature around 600 degrees WITH the fan blowing on it. Throw wet wood in the stove and I'd be lucky to get it up to 300 degrees with the air wide open. That translates into a cold house for the hobby burners.

Pete

I would, if I didn't have a toddler and infant to care for

Hire a good looking stud to do it. Bet he'll do it next year. LOL JK

stanb999 i am in the mountains its somewhere around 3000ft asl and looking up at a mountain thats 4600 feet so it is colder here than most parts of the state. and yes there is a fire going from late oct to march and then most morning up into late april early may i have seen frost up in middle to late june. and since i was knee high to a duck i know all we ever used was green wood and we never had trouble with it burning. no matter how cold it was outside it always stayed to hot inside with a fire from green wood, im not talking about a slow burning fire it was always going wide open and it was hot. the ones that says it wont heat must not know how to have a hot fire, i have seen the stove and the pipe red many a time from a green wood fire. we never just use a certain kind of wood either i know better than try burning soft woods i agree they wont burn but there are lots of hard woods we burn oak,hickory,ash,red bud,wild cherry, locust and more. it dont matter where you are it will burn green maybe all that is in the north is pine or something but here we have lots of hardwoods and hot green fires i doesnt stay green very long if you throw it in a red hot stove it dries out pretty fast .

Well, I learn something every day. Green wood burns fine. I'm going to have to take all my dry stuff and soak it in a water tub before I put it in the stove. It'll last longer that way, right?

Maybe that's why the fire department shoots water on fires, is so they'll burn hotter.

Just kidding - I agree with what Fishhead said - it takes energy to get rid of the water before it will burn.

You only have two children? In the old days, a woman would have 8 kids and still pack water and wood. Oh well, times have changed.

I wouldnt mind buying some gas, but Im not going to give the state any tax money to do it.

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I actually have 3 - homeschooling the oldest, who is just 6. As she gets older, it will help out tremendously.

Anyhoo - I do most of the stuff around here. Hunny comes home and hunts lol.