I like trees because they seem more resigned to the way they have to live than other things do. -- Willa Cather
Care is taken that trees do not grow into the sky. -- Johann Wolfgang von Goethe
So what do these quotes have to do with firewood? Because one of the things a tree might be resigned to is becoming firewood, and one of the reasons trees might not grow into the sky is because they are cut for firewood.
I love dealing with wood that has been cut and stacked for firewood. I say cut and stacked because Andy and our wood co-op do all of our cutting and chunking and most of the splitting, and Andy stacks the wood in the woodshed. My part: I make kindling. I split pieces that are too big for our stoves. I bring the wood and kindling into the house (using a wheelbarrow until the snow comes, and then by sled) and stack it near our stoves. And I usually build the day's fires because I'm up first. In late fall, through winter and into spring, fire building is a happy part of my morning routine.
5 comments:
All that wood. Dry? Riches. Have you read Nicholson Baker's book, can't remember the name, a book of matches?
Susan
that is a huge amount of wood. I love how you said that starting the morning fires is a happy time of day for you. I can only imagine how that feels, cozy...comfy. What other source of heat do you use?
Karen
Half the wood is for next year so only partially dry, the other half is this year's wood, fully dry, some of the nicest pieces we've had yet, gorgeous uniform dry fat chunks of maple and yellow birch.
Karen: we also have electric baseboard heat, good fleece and thick warm slippers.
Susan: I loved that book (A Box of Matches, maybe?) and would have permanently borrowed it from you -- given it a temporary home, I mean -- if I had known you were heading off to the open seas.
Susan
I believe the book in question is A Box of Matches, I read that a few years ago and loved it! I wished I owned a copy, I borrowed it from the library.
I can just picture you doing that Susan, in your fleece and slippers by the fire. I always admire those that get up early and enjoy the morning. I can barely drag myself out of bed but could stay up half the night, reading, surfing, writing in my journals etc.
Karen
That's Andy in our house, loves his bed in the morning. I'm up at 5:30 these days to get a start on writing: it's dark, I'm clear-headed and the house is very quiet. So I'm actually at the computer in fleece and slippers but the wood stove is not far away.
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