Winter Preparations

We heat with wood.........and we love it!

Today was a perfect day for taking care of a task that has been put off entirely to long.  Normally we cut, split and stack wood a year in advance.  This time we are rather behind the ball.  Fortunately, our neighbor has quite a few trees in his pasture that have been drying slowly for the past three years.  He was glad to have them removed and we are glad to have them for the winter months.

The boys were a great help this year.  They each worked right alongside of us the entire time.

 The day could not have been more beautiful.  The air was crisp and invigorating.  Fall is beautiful!

A stacked cord of wood is somehow almost a thing of artistic beauty.  There is certainly a wonderful feeling of accomplishment  when you turn to look at the product of your labor one last time before going indoors.  And, oh the joy of a wood fire on a cold winters' night.  I love the inviting curl of smoke from the chimney, the scent of wood smoke in the air outside.

There's something so deep-down satisfying about stretching out in front of a fully stoked wood-burning stove on a long, dark, wind-swept winter's evening.
Wood heat, besides being such a readily available low-technology source of energy, is just plain enjoyable!