2004-10-19
FUEL ASSISTANCE
Nothing unfriendly meant by the sign and folks who've known me a long time also know the origins of "posted" signs on my property | More specifically, on the part of the land where the raw materials for the firewood piles are stored |
You see, some years back, there was a week where i thought the size of the wood pile was receding and I was right | Didn't learn of it until one day I came home and found almost half my stock pile was missing! | In anger, I began hauling it all across the road, 4 and 6 foot sections of rock maple, mind you [that's heavy, folks] and tossing them over the other side of an embankment | This put them closer to the house, but much farther away that where I was accustomed to using the mechanical splitter |
Anyway, in the midst of this, along comes this guy in an old, beat up pick up truck, smiles at me and starts backing up next to the wood that remains | "How ya doing?" he beams | To which I responded, "Well I was fine until I came home and found half my wood pile had been ripped off!"
Well, this guy rears back ~ startled, begins talking real fast "....town road crew said I could... I only took one piece!!! ...as I was driving up last time I saw this BIG white pick-up truck driving away with a full load and I thought... | I was so angry I wanted this guy out of might sight as soon as possible, and he was perceptive enough to want to leave |
See, I rarely get angry, people round here know that I'm a real laid back kind of guy | So when I do lose my temper, folks don't really know what to expect |
I was pissed to lose probably two cords of wood in practically no time | But I did what I had to afterwards | Ran up to Agway and bought all the posted signs they had on the rack | Made a couple of phone calls, haven't had a problem since |
I don't mind supporting fuel assistance efforts, just not when it comes directly from my supply without forenotice | But ever since that day, folks ask now and again about the ghost pick-up truck, hauling away that wood |
¶ 22:27
Nothing unfriendly meant by the sign and folks who've known me a long time also know the origins of "posted" signs on my property | More specifically, on the part of the land where the raw materials for the firewood piles are stored |
You see, some years back, there was a week where i thought the size of the wood pile was receding and I was right | Didn't learn of it until one day I came home and found almost half my stock pile was missing! | In anger, I began hauling it all across the road, 4 and 6 foot sections of rock maple, mind you [that's heavy, folks] and tossing them over the other side of an embankment | This put them closer to the house, but much farther away that where I was accustomed to using the mechanical splitter |
Anyway, in the midst of this, along comes this guy in an old, beat up pick up truck, smiles at me and starts backing up next to the wood that remains | "How ya doing?" he beams | To which I responded, "Well I was fine until I came home and found half my wood pile had been ripped off!"
Well, this guy rears back ~ startled, begins talking real fast "....town road crew said I could... I only took one piece!!! ...as I was driving up last time I saw this BIG white pick-up truck driving away with a full load and I thought... | I was so angry I wanted this guy out of might sight as soon as possible, and he was perceptive enough to want to leave |
See, I rarely get angry, people round here know that I'm a real laid back kind of guy | So when I do lose my temper, folks don't really know what to expect |
I was pissed to lose probably two cords of wood in practically no time | But I did what I had to afterwards | Ran up to Agway and bought all the posted signs they had on the rack | Made a couple of phone calls, haven't had a problem since |
I don't mind supporting fuel assistance efforts, just not when it comes directly from my supply without forenotice | But ever since that day, folks ask now and again about the ghost pick-up truck, hauling away that wood |
RESOURCES: On hauling splitting and gathering wood: Woodheat.org's Preparing your fuel supplies; I don't usually buy wood but for those who do see U of Illionis' Tips on buying firewood || On Woodshove maintenance: U of Missouri's Woodstove Operations
¶ 22:27
