...and it's no thanks to my efforts. Larry has been hard at work getting the wood in, and now only needs the "extra" pile of wood we always gather to take care of the fireplace.
In some ways, it was easier this year because so many trees died. The drought, you know, and a few struck by lightning. It's been a tough year for trees and other plants. 
In 2003, the ice storm that devastated so many trees that we've been cutting those for the past 3 years.
Now the drought has provided us with dead, dry wood for the stove. Even the heat and dryness has some small benefit, if dying trees can be called a benefit.
We will be warm this winter, thanks to Larry's work. Perhaps by next year we will have run the
Nice pairing - the poem and the stories about Larry's wood pile and weather's contribution to it.
ReplyDeleteEllouise
I remember in several fictional works the requirement that wood taken for fire be already dead. It makes sense to use those. My friends say that wood you cut yourself "warms you twice." I would guess that the fireplace will require just enough wood to keep Larry satisfied and warm, with a bit of extra time for enjoyment and rest. Good to see you both in Jonesborough.
ReplyDeleteIndeed it does warm twice--actually three or four times, since it must be split and later hauled to the house!
ReplyDeleteI love wood heat, but always mourn a little at the loss of the trees--even though we have about 60 acres of them, I much prefer to cut dead wood. The fact is that trees left to maturity and beyond will eventually die. The big tree on the ridge that was blown over in a storm was completely hollwo inside--nice habitat, but it's value for lumber or heat was gone. It's value for beauty, however, was at its peak, and we miss it.
I suppose that's the ongoing conflict of living in the country. Life and death, beauty and disaster often reside side by side.