free wood
that's going to be a lot of fires
I don't like spending money, so there are lots of times when, instead of buying something, I wait to get it for free. That is not efficient. But sometimes it works out well, which is very gratifying. Our fires have been fueled by the logs we picked up out of the woods last fall, and there's still some of those left. But firewood is something that's nice to stock up on, so when our neighbor across the street had a tree taken down and sawed up, I took notice... especially as the logs continued to sit on the curb for a week. So I asked, and I got em! True, when dropping one of the heaviest ones into the wheelbarrow popped the tire the free aspect was minimized slightly... but I suppose I can always wait for a free tire!
Then last week a friend called to tell me he was helping someone clean out their garage, and would I like any free lumber. I would! I dashed over to find a pile that included six sheets of plywood—four of them half-inch smooth-finished panels that go for about $50 each. Then there was a bunch of miscellaneous pieces that I took away to make up for getting the plywood. But even that has already come in handy! I find myself using the scraps of molding to prettify the playhouse—I'd never pay for it, but when it's free I'm glad to have it!
molding
This delightful accumulation is happening at the same time as our other neighbors are doing construction on their kitchen. There's a big dumpster out front, and I've watching it filled with pieces of beautiful old wood ripped out of the old space. The container is big and deep, so while I did manage to grab one irresistible beam, most of it will be lost to the landfill. So sad. Oh well, at least I've got my woodpile.