How warm you are in the winter is directly proportionate to how much you sweat in the spring, summer and fall. For those of us that “do” wood, nothing could be truer. Now, I will admit that this neat three cord stack started as a pile in my driveway but in the old days I cut, hauled and split it before it got stacked. Now I just write the check before moving the winter supply the first two of the five times EACH piece gets handled before heat is produced in the wood stove.
You’d think with the price of oil and natural gas bouncing off the trading room floor that wiser folk would belay the humping required to move this stuff from driveway to basement wood stove and hook up to the fossil fuel train. Along with advanced age and infirmity is the memory of 1973 and 1979 when politicians and guys in white robes and sand between their toes played their little foreign intrigue games and we all lined up on odd or even days to wait FOREVER just to get a few gallons of fuel. But, you may say, there is sooooo much oil and natural gas now that it would never, ever happen again. HARUMPH! I’ll stick with the sweat equity and the dust and ash. The Child Bride will be warm and toasty this winter as long as the back and knees of the wood hauler-wood stove tender hold out.
Now if I can just remember where my tuxedo and top hat are, the chimney needs sweeping.
mikefullerauthor 
Aha ………… I hear very faint refrains from over yonder:
Chim chiminey, chim chiminey
Chim chim cheree!
A sweep is as lucky, as lucky can be
Chim chiminey, chim chiminey
Chim chim cheroo!
Good luck will rub off when I shakes ‘ands with you
Or blow me a kiss and that’s lucky too
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Dick Van Dyke in his MUCH younger days.
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Hi Mike, have you seen this? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hoPugqYMISM
Also I wanted to say that my blog is private while I am working on it but I hope you will click on it so I can add you
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In the few short years we’ve had our place here, my husband has cut the wood, but I’ve helped haul and stack. He is thinking about buying our wood this year. Still…I’ll take the wood stove heat any day over the fossil fuel! …and I’m with you on the thought that oil can’t always be depended upon. We still have a propane heater for backup, though our winter is nowhere near as brutal as yours is going to be. Then there is the satisfaction of knowing that your hands have worked so hard, if only handling the wood to move it from one place to another, and that you are self sufficient for the winter if you need to be. Maybe it’s a little similar to climbing a mountain to see the view, as opposed to driving up to the top?
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The Child Bride tolerates the cold much better than I do. We both, in our younger days, thought my Mom (MSRIP) was a little silly putting on a sweater when the temperature dipped into the 70’s (she lived in Florida). What wisdom age brings. The PA “Dutch” say: Too soon old, too late smart. You’re right. There is no warmth like that from a well tended wood stove. BTW, plans are now forming for the AT. Looks like a mid to late March start but it may be in sections spread over two years instead of a thru. Too much time away from home and hearth to suit The Child Bride. Stay tuned.
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Here in the Smoky Mountains, our county code does not allow cabins to be built with woodburning fireplaces. Hard to believe.
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Hope those solar panels keep folks warm and cozy on those back to back to back cloudy wet and cold October to May days.
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