Thank You everyone for your help.I thought that I would report in on the weekend BBQ. I will call this writing "Smoked Ribs and Chicken, The hard way".
After reading everyone's input, I decided on smoked ribs and chicken. In fact KE's smoked beer can chicken sounded deevine. As I left to go grocery shopping Saturday morning, I noticed the family across the street was cutting down the tree in their front yard. It had long since lost it;s keaves and some of the branches had fallen down in the street over time. I saw that thwy were not equipped for what they had started. They were using a small electric chainsaw to fell a tree that was two and a half feet across the trunk. I told them that I would help when I ot back from shoppig.
Sure enough, I got back and all the branches were down and the electric shainsaw had burned out. I got me trusty saw and helped drop the trunk. I even got to hook my diesel truck to it and pull it down. DW snapping pix all the way. I then cut the trunk in half, wrapped my tow chain around each half and dragged it to my driveway. I also got all the branches for firewood over the winter.
On to the BBQ. As I got ready to fire up the smoker, I used some of the wood from the day before to get a bed of coals. I was going to use some hickory chunks, shich I started to soak. Then the light came on. The tree was maple. I used all maple and smoked the ribs and chicken. It all came out delishous. I got a great smoke ring and everyone loved it. I added homemade potato salid and the neighbors brought baked beans and desert. Add some lemonaid and a great afternoon was had by all.
Than k You for your help
AC