Your wood pile

[Hairy Clipper]

Finished stacking wood at my grandparents' place today. My dad and I work over the summer to split and stack it to dry and then move it into the shed around this time of year. There were a bunch of oyster mushrooms growing on some of the maple pieces.

Benjamin-I have never seen or heard of those before. Of course I have lived a somewhat sheltered life ... under a wood pile. Are they edible?

 

[FortyTwoBlades]

Benjamin-I have never seen or heard of those before. Of course I have lived a somewhat sheltered life ... under a wood pile. Are they edible?

Yes, they're an edible species. One of the more prolific ones, and one of the safest to gather, as there are no poisonous lookalikes to them in North America or Europe. As with all wild edibles, and mushrooms especially, make sure you identify them correctly and cross-reference for possible lookalikes. It's at your own risk!

 

[Hairy Clipper]

Yes, they're an edible species. One of the more prolific ones, and one of the safest to gather, as there are no poisonous lookalikes to them in North America or Europe. As with all wild edibles, and mushrooms especially, make sure you identify them correctly and cross-reference for possible lookalikes. It's at your own risk!

Thanks Benjamin!

When my father was still with us he had a nack for finding Morel mushrooms. At some point he came to the realization that they liked dead elm trees that had bark on the ground. The Dutch Elm Disease was in full swing here and you could easily spot a dying elm ½ a mile away or more depending on the lighting conditions. One time on a nice sunny humid day in May we collected enough Morels to fill the pickup box. You could look and think you got them all and turn around to head back and see so many more you would swear they just grew back in a matter of seconds. Sadly, we didn't know any better at the time (early 1970s) as we used large paper grocery bags to carry them in, thus keeping the spores in captivity and no way to spread. Later we learned to use net bags so when walking through the woodlot the spores would sprinkle out onto the ground and seed the next crop. Too late smart I guess.

 

[David Martin]

It's dropping into the 20's tonight so, I thought I would bring a load to the wood-box on the back porch. All prior to my wife saying, 'this house is getting chilly'. DM

 

[David Martin]

If you'll notice, there is some wood with more brown-red tones and other wood with light more white tones. The brown wood is Emory oak and the lighter wood is live oak. Which is similar to what some call white oak. Easy to split, when compared to the Emory oak. Still, all oak. We had 26* this morning. A fire felt good & the coffee tasted great. DM

 

[Hairy Clipper]

Old man Winter keeps pushing his way his way in our direction. I saw my first Junkos earlier this week. We had another hard frost this morning and it was 23°F. To get in the mood I went to a movie:THE GREAT ALASKAN RACE. It is the story of the 1925 diphtheria serum delivery by dog sled to Nome across 700 miles of snow covered Alaska. Possibly the greatest team humanitarian effort to head off an epidemic in world history. It was a very good movie!

 

[David Martin]

I haven't noticed junkos coming through this year. But we don't get them every year. I'll be watching. DM

 

[A17]

I've been seeing junkos for weeks, but it's been in the 70's during the day so winter must be taking its time around here.

 

[jake pogg]

It is the story of the 1925 diphtheria serum delivery by dog sled

Great to hear that you enjoyed the movie.I haven't seen it,but that story lives on in these parts.I actually remember the man who carried it on this segment of trail(Whiskey Creek to...Koyukuk?.forgot...),Edgar Nollner,he was a nice old timer,very much honored his whole life for that feat.

 

[Hairy Clipper]

Great to hear that you enjoyed the movie.I haven't seen it,but that story lives on in these parts.I actually remember the man who carried it on this segment of trail(Whiskey Creek to...Koyukuk?.forgot...),Edgar Nollner,he was a nice old timer,very much honored his whole life for that feat.

I have read several books about the Serum Run and the latest I have read is THE CRUELEST MILES and so far I think is the best I have read. I have been following the Iditarod since a friend came back from Alaska on a trapping scouting trip and brought back a typed announcement of the first Iditarod. Back then you got an update once a week in the Minneapolis Sunday newspaper, now I watch live updates via the internet from most of the checkpoints along the trail. I am still amazed how many people have a Minnesota connection that have raced the Iditarod Trail. The temperatures during the Serum Run have been placed somewhere between -80°F. & -100°F. and I can't help but wonder how those fellows could survive breathing air that cold? According the link I am attaching two dogs died in harness and the musher became the lead dog.

It is interesting you mention Edgar Nollner because as I watched Wild Bill Shannon head out into the wind driven snow on the first leg of the relay I thought of Leonard Seppala and Edgar Nollner for some reason. Mr. Nollner was the Honorary Iditarod Starter during one of the Iditarod races years ago, perhaps it was the 50th anniversary in 1975, I just don't remember for sure. I still remember reading about Mr. Nollner's passing and can't help but wonder if the New York Times article I am linking to was the basis for most of the articles in newspapers and other media outlets. Mr. Nollner was the last living musher from the Serum Run.

Edgar Nollner ^
https://www.nytimes.com/1999/01/24/nyregion/edgar-nollner-94-dies-hero-in-epidemic.html

There is a scene in the movie where the newspaper man says, and I am paraphrasing here, "Governor, you are going to put the serum and the lives of the people of Nome in a stone age technology." It sort sounds like using an axe, doesn't it? Some things are just hard to improve upon.

 

[Square_peg]

My wood pile has been something of an embarrassment this year. Since I moved last summer I haven't really had the time to put a new wood pile in order. I did have a chance to drop a few standing dead Hemlocks on my buddies wood lot back in August. He borrowed a neighbor's hydraulic splitter and we quartered it back in September. But I'm only now having the time to bring it home, split it down to fit my little wood stove and get it into the shed. Thankfully the wood is already seasoned or I'd be without wood this winter.

The hemlock is mostly easy splitting but the knots can be murder. Where the 5 lb. rafting axe and 6 lb. fire axe fail the 10 lb. double-bit axe eye maul with axe profile succeeds. Here's a knot that just pissed me off and I had to defeat it for my pride.

Just getting started with the wood shed.

Some of it is brought to the patio for processing into fire-starter sized pieces, ~ 1" x 2". I use a Cooper era Plumb house axe for this step. It's a fine little splitter. I have a nicer Dreadnaught version with fuller cheeks but I won't use it for fear of damaging the Dreadnaught label.

At the hearth I split some further into actual kindling. This in-the-house work is done with a little 12 oz. Vaughan oyster hatchet. Don't want to get too crazy in the house.

The payoff is a lot of heat from a small amount of wood in a little certified wood stove. The little stove will force me out of the living room unless I turn the damper down. Half a milk crate full of wood warms the house for an evening.