I got a gig with some neighbors, cutting the dead wood out of their meadow.
Today I spent seven hours cutting juniper, and I'll bet I'm not a third done. With the cutting, that is. After that I've got to haul it all up their hill and convert it into firewood. I definitely need to get better at negotiating price, because I definitely underbid this one. Feeling very old at the moment.
Still, I console myself that I'm actually getting paid to learn something I need to know how to do. The Secret Lair will be primarily heated with wood, and nobody's going to be delivering that wood - I've got to go chop it for myself. Between the chainsaw and the falling timber, a guy could get hurt doing this. I'm a city boy, and there's a learning curve. By the end of this gig I should have some expertise, but right now I'm nursing a number of minor wounds and a plethora of not-so-minor aches and pains.
This "off-the-grid" and "off-the-books" business has its drawbacks. Don't let anybody tell you different.
2 comments:
Joel,
Stocking firewood is tough work, which supports the old adage, uttered by Thoreau, that firewood warms you twice.
I'd wager, if you bid on such a project once again, you won't underbid. Keep your chainsaw chain sharp, and your axe.
That's a labor I'd prefer to undertake only to feed my own woodstove!
I do love the smell of juniper though, here we've a few dozen acres of mesquite that seem to sustain the heating needs. Winter is mild here so I only have to go out every couple of weeks to cut up a couple wheelbarrows full - only takes an hour or so. I just keep the rough wood in a 'Navajo woodpile' and trim it to size once needed. There's no way I'd want to operate a chainsaw more than a couple hours at a stretch - hard on the back and forearms - and too much chance to get distracted or complacent.
You know you've really succumbed to 'the life' once you own two chainsaws! (an extra as insurance for when one is down or waiting for parts)
Stay safe!
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