Neighbor/terrorist-the beat goes on

[patrickg]

Dan, Thanks for the URL. I printed a copy of the chart for them. Maybe they can use it to make a couple bucks. When my neighbor came down to cut it in 8 ft lengths for me, he was most inquisitive regarding his safety.

Caused me to reflect on the similarities between the macro USA situation and the micro personal situation. I can't personally do much regarding the national terrorist situation but maybe I can make a small change in the local one.

Patrick

 

[Chuck52]

(Yeah they hauled him off and confiscated his arsenal but after detox his lawyer got
all his guns back for him after the wife dropped all charges.)

Clearly there is such a thing as malpractice for lawyers. Wouldn't it be great if there was Malpractice for lawyers, such that they could be held accountable for the deeds of their clients?

Chuck

 

[fishman]

Patrickg,

I've burnt innumerable cords of hackberry, and it's just fine, very similar to ash. It splits easily and burns fairly fast. It's excellent for a hot fire, but obviously doesn't last as long as oak or hickory. If you are burning wood to heat your home, it works great during the day if you're there. I wouldn't bank a fire with it at night . . . that's reserved for oak, hickory, or hedgeapple (aka osage orange or bois d'arc).

In summary, it would be a waste to just burn it off, in my opinion. I guess in small amounts it should make for several evening bonfires that will keep you plenty warm.

BTW, I've also burned a lot of honey locust trees. The wood is excellent, but you have to be real careful of the thorns /w3tcompact/icons/shocked.gif. We used to cut them off the trunk with a sharp hoe, and rake them off to the side for immediate burning.

 

[patrickg]

Yo, Fishman! Thanks, I've printed out your post to give my friend along with the chart on heat outputs of various wood types. Sure would like to see him get something for his trouble. He dropped everything to come with me to cut up the down tree. I brush hogged 20-30 acres for him today as his tractor is down in the tranny and it is a discontinued Brazilian, ouch. Banking a favor. I'll get to use his seed drill and stuff later. Better than everybody getting one of everything. Yet another excellent neighbor. What contrast.

Thanks again for sharing your experience. Any idea about creosote or any other downside to burning hackberry. It is definitely not in favor around here. Could be just an unsubstantiated rural legend!

Patrick

 

[Bird]

Patrick, I don't know anything about the chemical makeup of different kinds of trees, BTU output, etc., but when I had a fireplace, I sure burned a lot of hackberry and thought it was good firewood.

Bird

 

[patrickg]

Bob, I fully see your situation. What heat do you pack? My Colt .45 gold cup national match has been throated and touched up so it is happy feeding .45 cal shot shells. At close range they are a teriffic deterent to man or beast and after the first three rounds I fill the rest of the mag with high vel jacketed hollow points in case the corpse is still twitching a mite.

You can roll your own for revolvers or buy them factory made. For a .38 or .357 but an appropriate charge of pistol powder (note how I sidestep liabiliity) then a .30 gas check (looks like a little bottle cap used to protect the base of a cast bullet from hot loads) then fill er up with #9 or even #7 shot then another .30 cal gas check on top to keep the candy from falling out. first gas check is concave side up, top one is concave side down. The gas checks will sometimes penetrate a 3/4 pine board depending on if they hit sideways or end on. At a couple feet the #7 1/2 will sometimes penetrate a 3/4 in pine board. Plenty of energy delivered to the target. As the gas checks are very poor aerodynamically they will not go far to constitute a danger to anyone very far away. The shot loses energy rapidly too. These are good for quick response without aiming shots at poisonous snakes and with care would deter or kill depending on circumstances, a dog. At any rate take his mind off of killing your dog while you get time for a "kill" shot.

Now before everyone goes crazy over my snake comment. Yes I do value human life, even mine, over poisonous snakes. I have killed less than ten poisonous snakes in my lifetime, fewer per decade as I matured and stopped killing those who were not likely to be in the same place at the same time as me or mine. Given the opportunity I have relocated snakes, some poisonous ones, to safer (for both of us) habitat. Still, that said, if a snake constitutes a threat as described above while I am armed (likely to become a more frequent occurence) it is a hatband and a tastes-like-chicken snack.

I would not hesitate to kill an attacking dog. Most of my neighbors are dog appreciaters if not lovers. Most have said that if their dog chases stock, theirs or anyone elses or just won't stay on their own property, they would shoot it themselves as it is NO GOOD. Maybe this is just a statistical anomaly.

Bob, if you want further info send me a private post, so we don't bore or excite those not of our persuasion.

Patrick (P.S. I am willing to go to extreme measures for proper gun control, even using two hands)

 

[fishman]

Patrickg,

In my opinion, hackberry doesn't creosote up a chimney any more than any other wood. Probably less of a problem, as the fire is usually quick and hot, rather than a slow burn.

 

[patrickg]

Fishman, Thanks for the note on clean burning hackberry. My friend was over last night for the my first telescope amature astronomy session in two years. He just doesn't think it will sell so I will clean out my carb on the Mac Eager Beaver 16 inich and cut it up and save it for marshmellow and weenie rost stuff this fall. He told me how to double the worth of a Poulan chainsaw... put half a tank of gas in it.

thanks again, I'll use it not waste it

Patrick

 

[RobertN]

Patrick, I just found out our neighbors are moving. I worry about the new neighbors... Our old neighbor who moved a couple years ago was a terror, mostly on wheels, but a terror.

As I mentioned to you before, sometimes, in these situations, either you move or they do. Thebad neighbor moved, but now the good neighbor moved to, and I fear another bad neighbor. We have been fortunate, with three houses changing hands the last couple years in our little neighborhood, that we got decent neighbors. I just hope the trend continues.

And, as before, I still hope things look up for you.

RobertN in Shingle Springs Calif

 

[patrickg]

Robert, Thanks for the good wishes. Best of luck to you in the neighbor lottery. This story came to mind:

A man had new neighbors moving in on both sides of him. He introduced himself to the one on the left side and they chatted. That new neighbor enquired as to how the folks were in these parts. The "Old Timer" asked, "in what respect?" The new guy says oh I mean friendly or what. In my last neighborhood folks were just mean tempered, vicious, backbiting, meddling gossips, on a good day. Well, says the old timer, I spose your gonna see a lot of that here also, good luck, see ya later, I gotta go. The old time resident moseys over to the fence on the other side of him to watch the other new neighbor moving in, sees him and introduces himself. They chat and have a similar conversation but when the new guy is asked how his old neighborhood was he says it was grand, a real feeling of community or beyond that much of the time, more like family. Folks always looking out for one another, in general just a snug feeling of comfort and safety. The old timer says, "son, I'm sure you are going to find a whole lot of that here too, welcome to the neighborhood."

And the "Coyboy Philosopher" (Oklahoma's Will Rogers) once said, "Strangers are just friends you havent met yet."

Now for a reality check: I am an optomistic realist. I hope for the best and deal with reality. In the neighbor lottery you don't always fare well and given rotten lemons you can't make good lemonade. While I would never take any action, overt or covert that would directly bring harm to my neighbor as I refuse to lower myself down toward his level, nevertheless I would not be dissapointed if he dropped dead. There are precious few people in this world that I have personally met that I can truly say I wouldn't walk across the road to pee on them if they were on fire. My 40 something juvenile delinquent neighbor is at the top of that list.

Patrick (Just emptied the rain gauge, 1 5/8 inches overnight and could do more)