Silversea Water Cooler: Welcome! Part Four

[Mudhen]

My hat is off to all of you choppers, loaders, stackers, and ash retrievers!

Been there....still there!!! Unless you've done it all, you have no idea of how much work it is.

Wood for the wood stove heats you twice...(at least) one for the cutting down,etc. and one for the burning!

[tgh]

Does all this timber come from old growth or re-growth forests ?

Based on this conversation , the UK must consume many thousands of trees per year , just to keep warm

[UKCruiseJeff]

"The Bleeding Edge" on Netflix is an interesting view and quite shocking.

 

https://www.theguardian.com/film/2018/jul/25/the-bleeding-edge-netflix-documentary-medical-devices

 

https://www.google.co.uk/search?source=hp&ei=njVmW6LqDYXZwQL19KqgDA&q=netflix+fda&oq=netflix+fda&gs_l=psy-ab.3..0j0i22i10i30k1l2.1940.5093.0.7753.13.12.0.0.0.0.285.829.10j0j1.12.0..2..0...1.1.64.psy-ab..1.11.828.0..0i131k1j0i22i30k1.44.EMhxJLfgwFY

[UKCruiseJeff]

Does all this timber come from old growth or re-growth forests ?

Based on this conversation , the UK must consume many thousands of trees per year , just to keep warm

 

Our wood is sourced from a forestry contractor and his wood comes solely from the managed woodlands that they have been contract-managing since 1986. Around 48% of Hampshire is woodland - 25% is "ancient semi natural woodland" and 13% are "plantations on ancient plantation sites" in one report ..... and the Forsetry Commission says that the number of woodland and trees has increased

Edited August 4, 2018 by UKCruiseJeff

[mysty]

Greetings Coolers!

 

Today's funny.....

 

 

Have a great day all!

[MLeh]

Mysty: too early in the morning for that question!

 

Recent wood discussions have confused me. First is the concept of measuring wood by the 'cubic metre', but then I looked it up and a cord of wood is 3.62 m3, so I was able to figure it out. (A cord of wood is 8' x 4' x 4'. A 'face cord' is pieces of wood 16" long, stacked 8'x4', or about 1/3 of a true cord. A cubic meter of wood would create approximately one 'face cord'.)

 

Second concept that confused me is 'buying firewood'. We usually get about a cord of wood just from trimming the trees or dealing with windfall each year, which is about all we'll burn over a winter. (We rotate, so that this year we'll be burning wood we stacked in 2014). Most of our trees are fir, pine and cedar. Any branches over 4" in diameter, we buck up, split (if necessary), and stack up in the barn. One year we had the top 25' or so of a yellow cedar come down, and that furnished us with about 3 cords of wood, but cedar burns really quickly and is really suitable only for kindling and weiner roasts, so we gave most of that away. (That cost us some money as we had to hire a crane to come in and remove the broken top from amongst the other trees.)

 

We had to take out a small pine tree a few years ago - about a 25' tall and only about 10" in diameter - and bucked it up and split it and stacked it down by the barn. (It just died. They do that sometime.) It's been aging for a few years now, so we'll probably get around to burning it sometime soon.

We've also got alder all over the place, but its is a soft wood, so not the greatest, but it's free and grows like a weed and burns quite hot once properly dried, which takes a couple of years. (no kiln here)

We've got a maple tree that looks to be on the way out - it's being shaded by a big oak tree, so that will be some work. We had to take out a dogwood tree a few years back (they're protected, so they can only be removed if diseased or dying), and the wood from that burns very nicely.

 

Trees grow, die, grow again. We've only got 1/2 acre, but some good sized trees. All in all 'self sustaining'.

 

But after a few days cleaning up the yard after a big wind storm, bucking up branches and stacking them, reading about the concept of having someone come with pre-cut, pre-split, already dried wood, and stacking it up, is a tempting one. ;)

[UKCruiseJeff]

Lovely funny M .... we will have to start a philosophy sub-section soon. Am I the only person who believes that we should introduce or reintroduce as a separate topic Greco-Roman philosophy in school for our young kids to help them "learn how to learn" and cope and make sense and balance with an ever more complex and faster moving and stressfull life ....

 

Re wood. Not as lucky as some others. We have a very small wooded area, but sadly in the great wind all very mature were flattened including some landing on our house. They were all a couple of hundred years old. That wood lasted us for a few years it was mostly oak and ash and the wood cutting was paid for by our insurance company. I replaced them with cob nut trees. I wanted chestnut trees but felt I wouldn't be patient enough. Since then I have yearned to own a home with it's own largish wood and that being unlikely have regularly looked at the woodland sales. But it is fantasy and it isn't going to happen because driving to it defeats the object.

 

Burning fast growing woods such as pine/fir gives off tar chimney cleaning challenges and the great thing about just handing over a wedge of cash for a delivery and stacking of kiln dried hard woods is that it is over and done with in a few moments. I don't begrudge the £310 I've just spent for well over a years supply of lovely kiln dried wood stacked that leaves no tar in the chimney and burns bright. I also am a cack-handed and clumsy accident prone chap and if I had a chainsaw to cut the wood it would end up with me in hospital.

 

Sometimes just paying for stuff is more sensible for some of us lesser mortals. :D

[TLCOhio]

Your wood is very expensive. Ouch! Our 2500 litre oil tank gets a top up every spring having used between 1000 and 1200 litres much of which goes when my parents are staying when we are away - they aren't allowed to play with fire!

 

Appreciate the interesting writing, good technical aspects, the pictures and other detailed follow-ups on firewood, home heating, etc. Fun, learning experience to read and see. Super loved Tothesunset's humorous comment of "when my parents are staying when we are away - they aren't allowed to play with fire!"

 

Keep it coming.

 

THANKS! Enjoy! Terry in Ohio

Enjoyed a 14-day, Jan. 20-Feb. 3, 2014, Sydney to Auckland adventure, getting a big sampling for the wonders of "down under” before and after this cruise. Go to:

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1974139

for more info and many pictures of these amazing sights in this great part of the world. Now at 209,453 views for this posting.

[Tothesunset]

To expand on the wood question: Here in the fens nothing grows more than about 6 inches before the winter winds have it (OK, I'm exaggerating, but the area is one of the least densely wooded in the UK).

 

I pay about £300 a year for firewood. If someone said to me that they would pay me £300 to fell trees, cut the wood to 35cm lengths then split them and then put it all in my driveway I'd tell then to get lost. On a £££s per hour basis I'd be getting paid less than an Amazon employee!

[UKCruiseJeff]

All you need to do now is to find someone to stack it for you ......:D

[mysty]

J...I support the idea of a sylvan nook with blue chairs sprinkled under the bowers! What a delight that would be!

 

I also endorse the idea of adding Greco-Roman philosophy into school curriculum! Along with other useful skills like how to deal with finances, how to cook, how to do laundry, etc. Basically how to think critically and how to take care of yourself while you're doing that!

[Tothesunset]

All you need to do now is to find someone to stack it for you ......:D

Is that an offer?

[UKCruiseJeff]

Is that an offer?

 

 

Lend me your knees and I'll do it. :D

[TLCOhio]

Lend me your knees and I'll do it. :D

 

Don't worry, Jeff, about your knees!! You can always get new ones. Shiny new knees that work very well. Right? Just had my left knee replaced in late May and things are working well, so far in my situation.

 

For me, it is the muscles that get tired if I had to stack ALL of that wood!! Fortunately, our home has three different fireplaces. That's fine and good. But, as nice as fireplaces look, they can be challenging as their heat efficiency is not very good and there lots of dirt/ash to clean up, etc. Continued great sharing and information about wood, home heating, etc.

 

THANKS! Enjoy! Terry in Ohio

 

For details and visuals, etc., from our July 1-16, 2010, Norway Coast/Fjords/Arctic Circle cruise experience from Copenhagen on the Silver Cloud, check out this posting. This posting is now at 229,121 views.

www.boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1227923

[UKCruiseJeff]

Today’s Sunday Clarkson .....

“Our holiday on the canals was a blast, but at one hotel my dad caused a stink “

 

https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/jeremy-clarkson-our-holiday-on-the-canals-was-a-blast-but-at-one-hotel-my-dad-caused-a-stink-lr27gqlfh?shareToken=c81d5cc933754f2878662765490e24e2

[mysty]

Thanks J! Even though our family vacations when I was going up involved "stay-cations" around Windsor, Ontario the article rang very true! :) Vivid memories of my mother washing out my youngest sister's nappy in the frigid waters of Lake Huron while we were camping in the Pinery Provincial Park.

[Tothesunset]

Lend me your knees and I'll do it. :D

Steady on. Even Julius Caesar only asked for ears!

[UKCruiseJeff]

Steady on. Even Julius Caesar only asked for ears!

 

A bloke with your educashun should know it was Marc Anthony .... :D

[mysty]

Another member of the Attagirls.....this one lives in British Columbia. Also with an honourable mention of Mary Ellis.

 

http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/second-world-war-female-pilot-jaye-edwards-1.4772568

 

 

"Jaye Edwards served as a pilot during the war. She flew more than 20 different types of planes — from Spitfires to bombers — and took flight hundreds of times.

 

Now just a few months shy of her 100th birthday, she's one of the last surviving members of the famed "Attagirls," a group of just over 160 women who flew war planes from factories to the front lines."

[mysty]

Deleted...duplicate post.

[jpalbny]

Got an instant pot this week and made some pulled pork. Shoulder roast marinated overnight in lime and orange juice, garlic, and herbs. With a chipotle pepper tossed in for good measure. Then 90 minutes in the pressure cooker until it could be pulled apart with a fork.

 

Served over corn tortillas with the juices, Spanish rice, and cole slaw. I am so stuffed that I can barely move!

 

Sent from my SM-G930T using Forums mobile app

[mysty]

That looks delicious JP! We just got an instant pot for our daughter. Don't think she's tried it yet though!

[Lois R]

Got an instant pot this week and made some pulled pork. Shoulder roast marinated overnight in lime and orange juice, garlic, and herbs. With a chipotle pepper tossed in for good measure. Then 90 minutes in the pressure cooker until it could be pulled apart with a fork.

 

Served over corn tortillas with the juices, Spanish rice, and cole slaw. I am so stuffed that I can barely move![ATTACH]426192[/ATTACH]

 

Sent from my SM-G930T using Forums mobile app

 

Hi JP, I was watching QVC the other day and they were selling this Instant Pot! I had never heard about it before but they were making all kinds of dishes with it. Your food looks awesome:)

[Tothesunset]

A bloke with your educashun should know it was Marc Anthony .... :D

Oh aye, you're correct. I forgot that Marcus Antonius had no ears.

[mysty]

Greetings Coolers!

 

Today's funny.....

 

 

Have a great day all!