[devonlad]

have spent the last two weekends totally immersed in my lovely life. last weekend was spent with chain saw in hand taking out some large dead trees and hauling them up to the shed to turn into free firewood for the winter. This weekend has been a fabulous mixed bag which began yesterday morning with slathering up the ram and setting him about his tupping business ( is it ever so wrong to stand and watch ?) and then spent the remaining day and a half cutting back my huge hedge- have got the ingredients for a massive bonfire in a couple of weeks.
last week as a I was several hours into chain saw wielding my neighbour's friend appeared and after a few minutes of helping me drag some branches down to the bonfire site he said " I bet you long for the day you can pay someone to do all this for you ?" I looked at him with amazement- this is as good as it gets in my world, one of the great days. he didn't get it at all - got me thinking back to the days before I was lucky enough to live here with all this - weekends usually involved shops, and occasionally the gym, and often looking around for something to fill the time. if I get to Sunday evening and am not aching and covered in scratches then its not been a good weekend- just thought I'd ask- what's as good as it gets in your worlds ?

[AndynJ]

Spot on 

[kelly58]

Yup! Know exactly what you mean. We have been out today cutting peat for our rayburn.
lts wet so it weighs a ton, but what a buzz you get when its dry and you have free fuel, well worth the back ache. Usually done earlier in the year but didnt get round to it. Hard to explain the feel good factor to someone
who isnt a smallholder or the like. We are very fortunate !

[RUSTYME]

Well not exactly 'free' firewood , but not bought !
Chainsaw   = £200 ish
chain oil     = £5
petrol          = £6
2 stroke oil = £5
safety gear  = £50+
just being a pedant , lol .
I bought a bow saw once , £3 ish and an axe about £5 . That was about 30 years ago .
I must have a dozen or more bow saws and axes now , (they must breed in the shed !) , and just i lick with a file now and then keeps them going . The only fuel is a bowl of porridge or a cheese sarnie .
If a handle of an axe breaks i make another from home grown ash . If the blade of a bow saw goes beyond sharpening i make another from an old hand saw .
Cutting fallen wood most of the time here , then either use it on the fire or turn it into charcoal to heat the forge to temper the bow saw blade .
The ashes from the forge and the fire then go on the compost heap , the veg plot or the willow bed . The compost then goes into the ground that grows the oats for my porridge , or the ashes help the  willow grow to provide wood for the fire or forge , and to make baskets to carry the wood to the fire , or food from the veg plot .
 Can i hear Elton singing the circle of life in the background ? lol .
That's what keeps me going here ( not Elton or the song ) .

[happygolucky]

we got our licence for £56 and loads of wood that we were able to cut up with a  bow saw, we have gone through some blades but enjoying the very cheap heat, plus tons of kindling that we just gathered while we walked the dogs...we have 2 big open fires and have not had the heating on in this big house, its cold when  you go out the room but in the room too hot....hope to do the same when we move. I am always amazed at the amount of free wood is available, we have permission too!

[AndynJ]

If most of us could do half of what you do Rusty the world would be in a much better way, I know we can do it, we just convince ourselves we can't.
Your a credit to your country, you amaze us all.

[john and helen]

I can understand that Devonlad, i think the big difference is... Its Yours, its your baby, everything you grow, rear, make...its for your little world...

when we where out in France, i had exactly the same feeling, 

and i can't wait to get that feeling back 

[Womble]

Thanks for posting that Devonlad, you made me smile.

My trouble at the moment is that I have all "that" to do, plus a house to do up, plus a full time and more job. I really long for the day that I can do smallholding jobs without feeling as though I'm working against the clock all the time because there's so much to do.

Thanks for making me realise just how much I've got, as opposed to just how much I've got to do!!

[devonlad]

thought it might ring a few bells- you're right of course rustyme but in the spirit of re-pedantry (??) chainsaw was a Christmas present two years ago so wood is slightly cheaper at least he he

[waddy]

We have also spent the weekend chopping and hauling dead trees from our woods for the log burner; sometimes in the pouring rain. Also clearing and pressure washing a barn now the swallows have gone (they don't half poo a lot!). We have loved every minute! Can't wait to get livestock after Christmas (have only recently moved in and need to save up again and pay a large tax bill first).


Helen

[Victorian Farmer]

Done 3 ton yesterday all home made screw highdrolic log splitter belt on cellular saw and the log burner fire brick Lind

[RUSTYME]

Well done devonlad , freebies are the besties !
The fuel tanker comes this christmas does it ? lol .
Funny thing happened the other day , i was walking to the land and passed someone i know , outside his house , chopping logs with a brand new axe .
 He was a bit dangerous with the axe so i just said was it safe to pass ? He laughed and said that it was harder work than he thought .
I just said that it was a nice axe , and would keep him warm and get him fit . He said if i chopped the rest of the logs for him , i could have the bloody axe !
So i spent 15 minutes chopping logs , had a cup of tea and then carried on my way to the land , with my brand new axe over my shoulder .
I'll try to get him to plough his garden with 2 shire horses next time i pass lol .

[AndynJ]

 
Not bad that must work out to about £70 an hour

[southernskye]

My world....today the boat was running and we did 4 runs between Elgol and Loch Coruisk.
Super customers, not too busy, mild weather (polo shirt for me, fleece for the skipper), beautiful light, 2 great skua, 3 porpoise, 1 great northern diver and 3 red deer hinds on the shore.
 
Previous 3 days with a friend + sledge hammer reducing an 8m x 4m garage to easily moved pieces in preparation for the new 8m x 8m garage.
 
Day before that the wife and I moved, then erected, a load of security fencing to keep the cows away from the area of croft where our shipping container and various parts of the "ex garage" will be "stored".
 
Feeling healthy, achey, happy and worldy wealthy.
 
Aye, life IS good!
Rgds
Sskye.

[stufe35]

Yes they say wood keeps you warm 3 times,  once when you cut it and cart it, once when you chop it into logs, and once when you burn it.

Right with you Devon lad, some of my best days are working around the place. If I won the lottery I'd still be here chopping wood....I'd just have more time to do it !