Hurricane Clean-up

[woodwish]

So far this year we have been lucky in the Florida Panhandle to dodge Hurricanes Bonnie, Charley, and Frances. But now we are directly in line for Hurricane Ivan, which is the biggest and strongest to aim this way in as long as anyone can remember. As I was making preparations today I was checking my chain saws and thinking about the variety of wood I cut up for firewood 10 year ago after Hurrican Opal. This storm is much bigger with stronger winds, but now that I am a woodturner I was thinking what a great opportunity this could be. I have been looking at several of my neighbors trees for awhile thinking about all the bowl blanks in the them. I hate to make light of the death and destruction that this storm will bring with it, but at least there is a bright side to cleaning up this time.

If any of you live within driving distance of the Gulf Coast I am sure someone would love to have you harvest some of the wood in the downed trees we will get! Just follow the power line trucks and they will gladly cut it up for you, or trade for ice and water.

Back to hurricane prep, Ray

 

[Dave Peebles]

Hello Ray,

I hope you come through Ivan ok. I would imagine that plywood is at a premium in your area, but turning wood should be all around you soon.

Keep your head down and be safe.

Best wishes,
Dave

 

[dkulze]

I feel very sad about the damage and death the hurricanes have caused and I mean no disrespect to anyone who's suffered such a loss. I can't help but wonder, though, how many of the folks that died were woodturners who ignored the evacuation warnings and hid in their basements with chainsaws so that they could get first dibs on the downed trees.

Dietrich

(dark humor lets us know we're still alive and human)

 

[Bill Hunt]

Ivan

I'm leaving my PM3520 and my Sthil in the shop and taking the 5th wheel and getting out!! there'll be plenty of wood when I get back. I just hope I've still got a home when I get back.

Bill Hunt
On the Miss./Al state line 85 miles N of Mobile

 

[quartlow]

I'm thinking the pm would be going with me, :cool2: at least the stihl MAN!!!

You guys be careful down there

 

[Jeff Jilg]

I hope the storm doesn't cause too much damage, but I agree it's good to look for a brightside. There was a large storm last year where a microburst (downward strong wind) hit a NE neighborhood here in Austin pretty hard. About 30% of the trees got nuked.

It was a race of me against the county crews to get the wood. The county guys were just mulching it via huge shredders. I talked to some of the homeowners during the collection process. And when they realized that I was putting the wood to good use, most of them expressed positive sentiments. Also some sadness, most of them really liked their trees....but they were happy that the trees weren't going to a landfill. I created about 350 roughed out bowl blanks, and now some of them are ready for final turning. :cool2:

 

[PapaDoc]

Atlanta lost a number of really huge old hardwoods, along with some pines that snapped. My neighbor's magnolia split and came down across the road, resulting in Atlanta drivers coming into our yard to go around. That was until my ballistic wife went down in the driving rain to stare those bounders down. When I got home, my kids were rolling on the porch laughing at their mother. The local firemen arrived about the same time I did and cut up the tree. I thought it was improper for me to ask them to cut them into convenient blanks.
Got wood.
David Galloway

 

[Bill Hunt]

Ivan

Well it came and went.

left me with no power until today. Cranked up the Generator though. Had water and phone, and propane so we made it pretty good. Had to keep the 35#'s of Jumbo shrimp frozen.

Did lose a new window in the new addition and had a large Water oak blown down in the yard. Many many trees down on power lines all around us. Lost a lot of pines in our plantation. these are 18 years old.

Did get a lot of turning wood, sweetgum, sycamore, magnolia, cherry. all of it on the side of the road where the neighbors cut it off power lines and out of the road.

the 3520 made it fine, but I was afraid the high winds would blow over my 5th wheel RV so we took it to our daughters about 150 miles away then got back during the last part of the storm.

Anybody need wood you can just drive the backroads of east MS and anywhere in AL.

Bill Hunt in east MS.

 

[dkulze]

Glad you're ok, Bill. If you ever run into that problem with the shrimp again, FedEx ships frozen and I'm happy to hold on to 20# or so of it for you.

dietrich