It's that time of year again. Time to split.
This is our only heat source here. (Although we have been known to throw in a lump of coal from time to time.) It is a lot of work some times, and I don't have a lot of patience with that "it warms you twice" bit. Some years ago, during one of those oil crunches, there was a big fad for folks to go to wood burning to save money. But it kinda slacked of when people realized how much work was involved. What was fun and trendy got to be a drag fast. It was good when things let up a little, cause the competition for wood eased off a bit. A lot of what we burn is what we pick up on the streets here. There are a lot of trees in town, and when limbs fall they must be removed. There are still people who want it though and most of the good stuff gets gone quick, especialy in cold weather. Some folks like to burn a little in their fireplace for effect. Now days, people are getting these gas fireplaces. No muss, no fuss. But that's good for us.
I supose we could be viewed as filthy contributers to global warming and all that, but what we're really into is dwelling warming. There is something about having a real fire here in the house that just resonates with me. I think it's the hearth thing, "Home and hearth", as they say. It's also a great place to warm up the old butt on a winter evening.
There are, of course, some practical aspects. We don't freeze our tushes during ice storms. The price is right, if you can some how ignore the labor. And a rug next to a woodstove is a great place to nap.