I was the same way with the free wood when we lived in the last house and had the Jotul stove. We have a ice storm or heavy wet snow storm it seems every few years. This results typically in free wood laying on every roadside in the area.
I took two pickup truck loads to the town dump just yesterday. That was just to clean up the trees that broke on my property.
I cut the bigger stuff up and stacked it on the woodpile.
Of course, now we just have one masonry fireplace. So the cord of wood outside will probably last ten years.
There is always free wood around here if you are just willing to do the work to go get it. However, I have had a Stihl 026 and a pickup truck for 25 years. It is a little more difficult if you have a hand saw and a Prius.
In Texas you’ve got to have a pickup truck and a chain saw.
Out here on “Agony Acres” I have had only 2 pickups since 1979. The former, a 1979 Silverado I bought new and parked in the front yard and the latter, a 1995 Silverado which I bought new and still use. I really hate depreciation so I keep my vehicles an extra long time. I’ll get back to the 1979 just as soon as the 1995 peters out. Wifey won’t ride in the 1995 any more due to some imagined image issues with the neighbors.
I have 4 gas chain saws, 2 electric chain saws and 3 generators of which I manage to keep at least 2 working at any given time. I prefer the electrics because they almost always startup when needed. Gas chain saws not so much.
I usually find or cut enough wood during the warmer months to tide me over during the winter with some left over. I’m retired, so it keeps me busy and out of wifey’s way fixing pickups, chain saws, and finding and cutting wood when I’m not on the Free Republic.
BTW, I’m going to buy me a new F250 pickup just as soon as gas well production is up and my royalty checks come in. Glad I kept those mineral rights. /SARC