See that bit of snow in the upper left hand corner. Well apparently it is moving diagonally to the Southeast and dragging it's tail which is now whipping through Kansas with it and they are saying it is bringing more snow and bitterly cold temps. Lows going back into the negative digits this weekend supposedly. The front extends from Kansas all the way to the Northeast coast with those parts East of Chicago supposedly getting hit much worse than we are expected to be.
We have already had more negative and single digit spells this year than I can ever remember having in recent times anyway and one good snow storm under our belt along with a sizable ice storm as well.
This morning I was cutting up the largest White Oak I believe I ever dropped, at least with an 18" chainsaw, and by early afternoon the temperature was just perfect for wood cutting. I cut and loaded a massive overflowing bed full of nice well seasoned Oak that doesn't even need splitting and I figure I have at least another big load out of that tree before I even get to the trunk portion. The old girl died last year during the drought and I been letting her cure standing for over a year now. I estimate she had well over 100 growth rings when I cut her down.
When I go back next time I will take a picture or three.
Since I only cut dead trees except for the rare nuisance tree here and there, a huge couple of loads of White Oak is a rare treat for me. We have plenty of oaks around, in fact I would say it is Missouri's most prevalent tree, but they don't die nearly as much as the Elms and Locust which are my mainstays when it comes to burning I think along with the occasional Maple or Boxelder.
The timing worked out well as now I have almost completely full racks with slightly more than a cord split and stacked and about half a cord on the truck. When I got home I got everything tarped up and ready.
Once again we are all set the only duty left is for me to evaluate the situation come early morning and see if the Mrs. car keys are going to be confiscated once again. Time to snuggle in.
Keep Prepping Everyone!!!
That oak sounds good, none of that here unless I go to someone else's property. I don't need more cold, I am ready to set out tomatoes and forget this cold crap.
ReplyDeleteSF - I have two huge old oaks and one is about half dead now but so big on the trunk I will never get the thing cut down. I have occasionally had limbs come down off them large enough to be a load in and of themselves but usually I get few actual Oaks for burning. Sometimes I manage to find some tops left over from logging that people ask me to get rid of but it's rare.
DeleteYou're not too far from one of my old haunts. I did a post doc at So IL sch med years ago and spent much time close to Hannibal with friends.
ReplyDeleteYou are getting it all. Here in the People's Republic we have had a summer wx pattern of a huge blocking high pressure. So this has been the year (2013) and winter of no rain,though we did see 4 inches of wet snow...extremely unusual for us. Driest year recorded for CA, E.V.E.R.
If it doesn't rain soon we're just going to blow away as dust. This time of year is normally green and beautiful for us, but this year still looks like August. Now, on Jan 1, 2014.
Better too much than none. Take care my friend.
Winston
Winston - I am about an hour or so from Hannibal. I have spent a lot of time up there over the years though and would place it within the top three of Missouri cities I know fairly well. Although I haven't been there much in the last six years or so for a time I was there three or more days a week.
DeleteMay you get much warmth & many fires from the old oak - hard to cut, but one of my favorites. I've spent many a night in front of an oak-and-hickory campfire.
ReplyDeleteI hope the bad weather misses you.
RP - we got some snow and the temps crashed quickly reading only 7 degrees right now.
DeleteIt's a pretty dry snow though so not much of an issue.
Nice job on the wood cutting. Its bitter here again. Can't wait for temps near 35 again. Cars keys that vanish?? What a bad thing to happen. evil kymber laugh.
ReplyDeleteRob - Oh the wife cannot stay home from work. She left late today due to the snow and about drove me crazy she was so bored and irritating :)
DeleteWell at least its not a radioactive cloud from Japan headed your way with oversized monsters soon to follow.
ReplyDeleteThis has been one of the more extreme variances between NC weather and elsewhere. We will be in the fifties with rain tomorrow.
Russ - Looks like we are in for about 3 days or so of very cold temps now. They said a high of 21 today but so far all I see happening is the temps dropping. They are predicting negative numbers by Sunday.
DeleteSorry I haven't been by. I've been sick.
ReplyDeleteSnow here today, too.
Harry - I haven't been doing much blogging either truth be told. Now I have a cold to go with my lethargy.
DeleteGet well quick man.
PP,
ReplyDeleteI've been away from the computer myself, I need to get back in the groove. Feel better my friend, stay inside.......get warm and some rest. Hide the keys in the refrigerator, no one suspects them there, lol :P