We (me, wife and 4 kids - 9 yrs to 1 year old) just went 6 days with the power out after the ice storm in NH. The last two days we had a small generator for some lights and running the water pump. First 4 days were candles, flashlights and wood stove. We could not have made it without the stove.
With the stove we had normal heat, hot food and hot water. Without it we could not have stayed at home.
It was a lot of work to keep life close to normal; made us really appreciate the modern conveniences. And gives a new understanding to how much work was involved in just being able to live years ago.
With one day of bad weather, the wood stove can be the difference between roasting marshmallows with the kids or packing up and heading out. It was a blessing.
On the lighter side of things - several of our relatives, who know we heat with wood, asked (cell phones still worked) if the kids were all bundled up in sleeping bags down by the wood stove. Confused, we said "no they are up in bed". I still don't think they understand you really can heat a house with a wood stove.
With the stove we had normal heat, hot food and hot water. Without it we could not have stayed at home.
It was a lot of work to keep life close to normal; made us really appreciate the modern conveniences. And gives a new understanding to how much work was involved in just being able to live years ago.
With one day of bad weather, the wood stove can be the difference between roasting marshmallows with the kids or packing up and heading out. It was a blessing.
On the lighter side of things - several of our relatives, who know we heat with wood, asked (cell phones still worked) if the kids were all bundled up in sleeping bags down by the wood stove. Confused, we said "no they are up in bed". I still don't think they understand you really can heat a house with a wood stove.
