As I was stacking firewood last week, it wasn't on my mind that I would write about it or take photos. It's one of those jobs that I have done for many years, enjoy doing, that is all mine to do, but it seemed kind of ordinary for writing about.
That's what I thought until I began to think about how pleasurable it was to see the stack growing, how much I liked the exercise I was getting, how perfectly split it had been by the guy who sold it to us, how great it'll be next winter for fires in the fireplace, and how beautiful the wood looked to me. That was when I decided to share a few photos of something that might seem ordinary but then again the best things in life are often the small ones.
The pile in front of me (mostly oak, with some maple, madrona, and alder) is about 1/2 a cor
d of wood-- the last for me to stack. When we were heating with wood, we bought at least 4 cords of hopefully dry hardwood, which makes longer lasting fires. Anything uncured (this wood had been down three years) doesn't put out much heat. The two cords we bought, plus some from the back where trees went down, will nicely take care of power outages next winter as well as yield many fires in the fireplace.One more little story goes along with it-- the way we bought this firewood. A few weeks ago, we had been eating dinner at a restaurant in a town about 25 miles from the farm. It's a nice
seafood place, nothing fancy, but good food. We had talked about this and that, a little political talk, but really nothing special (thank goodness no arguing). About the time we were finished, the man in the booth across from us asked us if we were still living where we used to live...That was the first time we realized that he was the kid who, with his father, us
ed to sell us firewood, well he's not so much a kid anymore as he was with his wife and they have teen-agers.As we talked a bit, my husband asked if he was still selling firewood. It coincidentally happened he had arranged to get some again... which is why we have this beautifully split wood. I have stacked a lot of firewood in my life but none any more finely split nor more of a pleasure to handle.
There are some good people out there, those whose handshake is as good as any contract. This kid (still a kid to me) and his dad, who is now dead, are among them.
10 comments:
A heart warming post today. Happy Mother's Day!
Happy Mother's Day Rain! You are still a stunning beauty !
A lovely post, rain. Your firewood looks like it will fulfill its promise. I like the handshake as good as a contract. As it should be. Happy Mother's Day to you.
One thing about firewood, It warms you many times over. first when you cut it down, 2nd when you split it, 3 when you stack it, 4 when you bring it in, and finally when you burn it. Lots of warmth for your money.
That looks like a lot of wood. I have cut and split and stacked plenty over the years. I am glad that my new house is going to have gas fireplaces. I like having a fire, but not so much when your life or dinner depends on it.
Finally get here to see what's up with you.
Enjoyed your photos. There's always been something about stacked firewood that makes me feel just plain good. Perhaps it's because I can visualize a cold winter eve with the fire crackling and popping and warming the house. It just makes me feel cozy.
Wishing you a very Happy Mother's Day, Rain!
Terri
http://www.islandwriter.net
Really unexpected when we encounter "kids from yesteryear" with grown up young folks of their own. Does put life in perspective, doesn't it!
Firewood looks great -- spent enough time for a few years in my early youth in another State, with handsaws and axe cutting down trees, splitting the cutup logs into firewood for household use to last me several lifetimes.
Recall hearing recently here in So. Cal. some action toward limits on woodburning fireplaces. Will have to check that out. Know fireplaces helped a friend in Conn. get them through several freezing winter weeks without power some years ago. Haven't used either of my fireplaces here for a few years, as my husband got rid of all our firewood (termites) and need to have a chimney sweep in now lest I risk a fire -- but I do love the ambiance.
The Seattle area also has many days when you can not burn wood unless it is your only way of heating your home but wood fires sure produce a nice, dry heat. I remember many days in my earlier years when we really did use and appreciate being able to cut & burn our own wood.
I love this post Rain....It is about something very very important in my view. I got a lot out of this simple story. The warmth that the wood geberates all winter; the excersize factor---no small thing; the continuity of lobg time relationships...your husband AND that "Kid" who is no longer a kid; ethics; caring about what one does....And I could go on!
LOVE the pictures, too! There is something about wood that is so very basic...and I love that!
Great synchronicity meeting up with your old firewood guy. I so love burning real wood, but here in the city, they are beginning to regulate the burning of wood because of the contamination in the air. New house construction can only have a gas fireplace.
That doesn't make much sense for someone who uses the fireplace to heat the house.
You did a lot of "sacred ordinary" labor and it looks like a work of art--and you look sexy and happy stacking it.
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