BEDEMIR: Exactly! So, logically...,
VILLAGER #1: If... she.. weighs the same as a duck, she's made of wood.
BEDEMIR: And therefore--?
VILLAGER #1: A witch!
Your logic does not fully support the argument, Dennis. Your firewood pile always shrinks, for the reason I had already stated above: the moisture content of the wood in your pile is above equilibrium for your relative humidity, and so it is still shrinking. It's always going to seek 10 - 18% MC, depending on your local climate. Actually, single digits, if you're in the desert southwest! If the MC of your wood is above that, your pile is always shrinking, as you clearly observed. If you're below that, your pile is always growing. Wood is a sponge.
According to a study [1] done by the USDA, the equilibrium moisture content of your beautifully dried stacks in Michigan will vary from 12.3 to 15.1 percent, throughout the year. Because your wood is a sponge. This follows the relative humidity for your climate, plotted here at 70F. Relative humidity goes up, and your equilibrium moisture content goes up, but you'll not see your stacks grow unless they're already at MC below 15%.
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This is all trivial to the guy trying to burn wet wood. His issue is not whether or not the wood has absorbed significant moisture, or if it has grown, but the fact that his wood is damp. I stand by my original statement, as I've experienced this several times in the last two years: "I don't think the wood is really absorbing that much moisture to it's core, but there is definitely going to be more net moisture
in or on the wood. Also, your draft is usually weak on these days, as they tend to be warmer days, this combination making it very difficult to achieve cat light-off."
[1] -
http://www.fpl.fs.fed.us/documnts/fplgtr/fplgtr117.pdf