Wood I

It’s that time of the year again. I just bought my first of several loads of wood to stockpile for the cold (Br-r-r) winter months. Believe it or not, I have grown more intelligent over the thirty years I have lived in my house and raised my family. When I first began using wood to help warm the house, I thought the pile of uncut wood was ugly. It detracted from the beauty of my home. I placed the wood pile at the back of the one acre lot. What I didn’t understand was that the spot that I’d chosen wasn’t the best place. Between the woodpile and the house, several drifts of snow would form during the winter storms, making the task of hauling wood to the back porch a formidable task. I tried a wheelbarrow, then a toboggan, but it got to the point a light bulb finally went on in my head, “You can make this a lot easier.”

So, I moved the delivery point to the now empty garden plot. The harvest was all in and it seemed like a good idea. Cutting and stacking was closer to the house and partially hidden by several oak trees. Again I was worried about the looks of the pile. The snow drifted there too, but it was just about ten feet closer to the house, thinking there would be less distance to drag the firewood. Not so. It was just as difficult.

The very next year I decided to put the pile on the other side of the house, near the bushes and tree line there. It was about another fifteen feet closer. By now, I was hauling wood into the basement. I had a new wood burner and I put it in the cellar to limit cleaning up from the dirt from the bark and ashes. The wind and snow didn’t care. There were still drifts, smaller but there were more.

For the last six years or so, I have the wood delivered right outside my basement door. Who cares if it looks unsightly? I’m older and tire more easily, and hopefully it shows I am smarter by choosing a place close to the door.

Well, the first load is here and slowly I will stack it on my pallets to continue to age until it is needed to warm my home on the cold windy days of winter.