Firewood

The need for wood is at hand. It is winter in New England. The smell of wood smoke is in the air. It evokes good feelings of warmth and survival, camaraderie and youth, and sitting around a campfire. Winter here requires artificial warmth - the sun is not enough. Firewood isn't just a thing. It represents a dynamic process that must be managed closely. Based on climate, house size, and efficiency, one might need generally in the range of 2-10 cords a year. That's a lot of chopping, splitting, and carrying.

The years of growth tell a story like the sandstone layers of the Grand Canyon.

A stump and an ax are telltale signs of an active wood stove inside a home.

The greens of summer have given way to wintry browns. The reeds, grasses, trees, bushes all changed.  This house, normally obscured from view, becomes visible from the water at this time of year. Their load of logs needs to be cut, split, stacked, and seasoned. Much more difficult than turning up the thermostat. 

Winter in New England separates the hearty from the not so.  I am one of the not so.