Daydream thread... without the rose-tinted specs

Davesnave

COOLTRIKERCHICK wrote: »

there are loads of us who get our wood for nothing, so not paying any tax on that fuel source...

It's not quite free, because there's equipment, like chain saws, needed to create firewood and time is never entirely free. But home-grown wood is a very cheap energy source, so if you have enough trees & time, it could be very rewarding.

If DW and I were looking to buy now, we'd change our focus and only look at properties with an acre + of standing timber. We'll be planting more trees this winter, but realistically, those might not benefit us as firewood.

With the Outlaws descending, I'm afraid I wimped-out and asked Johnny the postman to clean & light the Aga this week.:o I think we could have lasted into December otherwise, as the woodburner (and its 8 radiators! :rotfl:) has coped fine until now.

Davesnave

I had an idea this week, though it would probably have been obvious to others sooner. I thought of it when a friend mentioned that a relation had a mini-digger for hire at £50 a day.

We have a large mound of soil/spoil to move before we can plant trees on the rough slope above the stream. The more of this we transport up the field to Mr Dog's end, the more money that will cost. OTOH, if we push it all down the slope, it will be too unstable for immediate planting. However, if we make a bank and hedge on one side of the copse we're planting, we could lose a lot of soil in that.

We'll have to leave a gap between the thatcher's deer fence (!?) and this bank/hedgerow, but the two could run parallel, a few metres apart, giving us a little footpath and making sure the thatcher's 'wild garden' doesn't jump the boundary. I want a wild area too, just not bindweed bramble & willow herb. He's got those covered! :rotfl:

Itismehonest

COOLTRIKERCHICK wrote: »

Lir I'm with you wondering if the lightening lights up the snow, sound magical

Seen this link over on the shtf thread on the OS board

http://www.thelocal.es/20131112/spains-solar-police-to-kick-in-your-door

With just skim reading it, it looks as though the government encouraged solar panels, by giving grants/funds etc, but it looks as though they are realising energy companies and themselves are now losing out on income/taxes etc..

in this country log burners etc that are popular now, do you think it will not be long before our government realise that there is a load of wood being used as fuel, and they are not getting a penny tax on it etc, and start putting a some sort of tax scheme in place??

I know we have briefly talked about this a long while ago, but now that there is a huge increase in people using log burners etc.. just wondering if you think some sort of tax will be added somewhere along the line??

I think it more likely that prices will continue to rise as wood becomes scarcer & more has to be imported, CTC.
Very few of the people using wood are self- or even partly self= sufficient in timber. Around here the last few bad winters have seen wood piles used which were laid by for future years & even those with their own source are having to find wood elsewhere to burn.
I'm pretty sure that quite a few people who have turned to wood-burning think they can just potter round the countryside collecting free wood which is not the case.

Itismehonest

It's absolutely hammering it down & blowing a gusty gale. I think it's made it a degree or two warmer than yesterday, though.
It would be quite nice for it to actually get light today. It hasn't made it past the daybreak stage yet.

lostinrates

Dull as dishwater here too. Lamps on in the house. Much warmer, but the whole week hasn't been that cold. Mind you, I've opened the purse strings and had electric heaters on.


I have a rose to move and thought I was too late,(was too mild, then suddenly cold, no gradual cool down) but. If it stays like this I might move it this weekend.

Davesnave

Now this proves we have different weather, even quite short distances from each other.

We've had some torrential downpours here, but it's been reasonably bright. OTOH, the wind chill is something else and my feet are cold for the first time this winter.

choille

I think the thunder snow occurs with the cold air hitting the hot. I had to unplug everything last night as I don't want to lose the computer or phone.

I think the wood pellet thing is a bit of a rip off - well a massive rip off & they will get very expensive. Energy prices are fickle, so what we should all be doing is trying to use as little as possible.

We are lucky with having trees, plus I have planted a fair few, but we'll have enough to see us out.

OH went a talk years back at the place they did Dolly The Sheep, on Elephant grass which was a quick grow, easy crop & fuel source, but haven't heard owt since. There is so much wood waste - you see it here when they clear fell, there's so much sprag left on the ground. It's not viable to harvest commercially, but people should get in there.

At the saw mill the other day we did get some off cuts that had been discarded - there's tons & tons of it & slab wood all getting stacked up & burnt - it is such waste. I get sad at that.

Itismehonest

choille wrote: »

I think the thunder snow occurs with the cold air hitting the hot. I had to unplug everything last night as I don't want to lose the computer or phone.

I think the wood pellet thing is a bit of a rip off - well a massive rip off & they will get very expensive. Energy prices are fickle, so what we should all be doing is trying to use as little as possible.

We are lucky with having trees, plus I have planted a fair few, but we'll have enough to see us out.

OH went a talk years back at the place they did Dolly The Sheep, on Elephant grass which was a quick grow, easy crop & fuel source, but haven't heard owt since. There is so much wood waste - you see it here when they clear fell, there's so much sprag left on the ground. It's not viable to harvest commercially, but people should get in there.

At the saw mill the other day we did get some off cuts that had been discarded - there's tons & tons of it & slab wood all getting stacked up & burnt - it is such waste. I get sad at that.

Around here it all has to be left for the bugs :wall: I may change my surname to Oniscidea to qualify :D

choille

Ahhhh...could be here too. Yes, probably aint that many species of bugs on the mono cropped floor as they are all Norwegian Spruce woods/Larch - in the main that were commercially planted over 30 years ago or so & are now at the end of their lives. We were amazed to see logs on a sloping hill left horizontal to the road - they'll end up on top of a car one day.

Well it's been a disgusting day here with what looked like smoke coming off the Bienn, but it's a waterway that's getting blown back upwards - strange....

I have a hospital visit tomorrow so I hope the snow stays off.

lostinrates

A local company use miscanthus.

Miscanthus makes the best horse bedding I have ever used. Even better than hemp.