[Sanders]

I've been watching the Forest Service website every day, and last week they posted that they were going to sell permits for another area at $20/cord for "benched" lumber.

That's where the Forest Service woodcutters cut down the trees, then stack them beside a road (more like a trail). All you have to do is pull up next to the stack and cut them to fit your transport. It can get a little interesting when you are standing on the pile and they decide to roll, but not too bad.

I sent my wife down to get the permits (limit 2 cords per person) as soon as I saw it. I also called one of my employees who I know cuts wood, and he sent his wife down. Then I called my neighbor and told him.

My wife said that when she got to the Forest Service office, about 6 people came in right behind her. The lady selling the permits figured they would be sold out by noon. My neighbor couldn't get down until the following morning when they opened, and he said there were only 6 cords worth of permits left available before he got his.

Me and the neighbor went out yesterday morning. I intended to get my full 2 cords and had my pickup and a trailer. Neighbor's truck crapped out on him, so I let him use my 1/2 ton Dodge to pull his little trailer.

We found the site and commenced to cutting. I got almost a full cord loaded onto the trailer when the sky opened up. I figured it was just a summer mountain storm and would pass in a few minutes. It didn't pass. I think it just started circling around. Then the hail started. In a slight lull, I strapped down what I had, and called it a day. Didn't like the idea of leaving with just 1/2 a load, but the weather wasn't getting any better and the rain and hail started coming down harder.

Pulling a loaded trailer up a muddy road in 4-Low got interesting without any weight in the truck bed. Next time, I'll load the pickup first, then the trailer.

It rained almost all the way home. There were some pretty good flash floods up around the burn area. The creek that runs through the town of Chilili was running bank to bank with charcoal colored water. It was hitting the bottom of the bridge when we crossed it. If it didn't let up, there may not still be a bridge there, this morning.

At least I got some wood. I still have to get another cord from that spot, and I hope they lift the fire restrictions for the other (closer to my house) cutting area, so I can start on that.