Okay so I went to Riverwood and decided to toy around with the lumber pile

Guess what, I can't use it. I can tell because Hod is there, but he doesn't do anything lol

What's wrong? And no, I never fiddled with any quests related to lumber piles

The lumber piles are for decoration and immersion.

You an use the chopping block - basically a tree stump - if you have an axe. Good way to make some coin, fantastic for roleplay purposes. There are also a few people who become available for marriage after you've chopped wood and sold it to them, although none in Riverwood.

Oh I forgot to mention that I could use the sawmill or whatever you call it before, but now I can't