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[EarthNSky <erthnsky AT bellsouth.net>]

Robert Walton wrote:
> I started cutting firewood this weekend. I swear I'm going to keep at
>  it and get most of it done before spring. I've heard that it's best
> to wait for the leaves to come out, so that the sap is up in them,
> but I'm cutting know. There are no ticks or chiggers this time of
> year, I about scratched my rear end off last summer. Once the leaves
> are out, it's planting season and I never get to cutting wood then.
> It's nice and cool to work now.

I've been making my garden plan this weekend, and part of that is
determining when certain things need to be done according to the Moon.
Yes, I do believe in Lunar Agriculture.  I've experimented with it
enough that I believe the extra work to figure out when to
plant/seed/weed/transplant is justified.  I now can tell you, for
example, that I will sow my broccoli in flats on January the 28, and
that I will sow my fennel on April 25.  I have from now until May
planned out for everything(only edibles and herbs, not counting flowers)
I will be growing this Spring and Summer.  In a few weeks, I will start
a fall garden plan and determine when I need to sow cabbage, more
broccoli, maybe some Brussels sprouts, and if I like these beets I
bought, I might even try to grow beets.  Generally, I start the seeds in
July for transplant in early September, but it all depends on the moon.
Today, actually


But anyway, I've heard/read different things on when to cut firewood.
Some things say that the Full moon is bad, but the Third Quarter is
good.  If that is true, then you are only a week off<G>.

I have also read that you should cut wood just before the full moon, as
the sap rises. The sap would be at maximum level at full moon.

But the best one is that if you cut firewood on a full moon while the
moon is in Leo, the wood will last a long time and put out a lot of
heat.    Just so you know, the moon is now Full and in Cancer, but moves
into Leo tomorrow.  You were very, very close, so I think you will have
good 'luck' with the wood you cut.  It might be an interesting
experiment to set aside some oak from this weekend's work and then cut a
tree, say in March (for a conventional 'control') and then see which one
burns the best next year.  You could even be really scientific about it
and weigh the wood for moisture.  That's the kind of nerdy thing I would
do..lol..

> I've got 25 acres of woods, it's nice to get out in it and start to 
> manage some of what's growing there.


I'm almost overwhelmed with that task, but thanks for the reminder that
I need to get busy on that.

Bev

--
"Nothing in this world can take the place of persistence. Talent will
not; nothing is more common than unsuccessful people with talent. Genius
will not; unrewarded genius is almost a proverb. Education will not; the
world is full of educated derelicts. Persistence and determination alone
are omnipotent. The slogan 'press on' has solved and always will solve
the problems of the human race"

~ Calvin Coolidge