Weekend work

Like usual, time in the woods this weekend focused on gathering biomass to burn.  Two empty containers sent out yesterday morning were quickly filled with birch bark.  Our fans will remember how we gather the bark from downed or dead birches, then use in the wood stove.  The bark is a spectacular fire starter.

This morning, a large amount of red maple was removed from the hill about 600 feet from the house.  The stump sprouts don't make for the best trees, and the wood will help the stove roar.  The first pic below is a spot prior to thinning, followed by the same area from a slightly different angle after the work was completed today.

The deformed sugar maple on the left of this shot should see great benefits after the removal of the red maple clump on the right (west of the sugar maple).

Piles of cut red maple will continue to be made this week before the future firewood is hauled up the slope to the house.