Winter Means Wood

Yesterday marked the first real snow of the winter, amazingly. We've managed to hold out so far, and we've got high hopes with the warmer temperatures promised next week. But for now, we're stuck with snow.

Since we have a wood stove in the family room to heat the house, it means we have to chop, split, and stack all of the wood it takes to get through the winter. Stacking is not to be taken too lightly, (I once gave the neighbor kid a concussion while stacking). It also means when the wood in the woodbox inside the house is used up, we have to gear up in boots, Carhartts, and welding gloves to restock. It's annoying as all get out when you're in the freezing snow gathering wood, but it beats the outrageous prices everyone else around here pays to heat their mansions. Bonus, the family room is constantly a toasty 70 degrees. Hello shorts in January.

 There's a weiner dog in there somewhere . . .