Firewood In

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Ribcracker

New Member
Nov 21, 2014
19
Oxford, Michigan
Summer ran past in the blink of an eye. Wasn't I paying attention?
I wish there was a way to slow the seasons down and sometimes feel like I'm on a brake-less train gaining speed down a steep grade. I'm not interested in what's at the bottom of this hill.
But here we are again. So we get the firewood in, chimney swept, storm windows up and settle in for another long winter. Our property borders a vast woodland so fuel is close at hand.
We cut, split, and store wood year round and try to stay at least a full season ahead in our supply.
Typically, we go through about a dozen face cords during the winter.
The downstairs fireplace has an efficient Fuego insert that completely heats the basement which is where we spend most of our time during the cold, dark hours. The heat rolls along the ceiling until it finds the stairwell and billows on up. Our thermostat is at the top of the stairs where it feels the heat and prevents the furnace from kicking on. We keep the thermostat set at 50 degrees because there are things we'd rather spend our money on than fuel oil. Even so, after we've gone to bed and the embers grow dim, the furnace will kick on two or three times during the night.
We use an electric blanket on the bed and take space heaters into the bathroom for showers or to have at our feet during meals. Our electric bill goes up about 50 bucks a month during winter but that's nothing compared to what the fuel oil would cost.
The emerald ash borer has decimated our ash trees so an ample supply of fuel is assured for many years to come. That means I don't have to go so deep into the woods to harvest.
It broke my heart to see the ashes fail but that's natural selection at work. Once the ashes are all dead, I suppose the borer will die, too. And then maybe the ashes can make a comeback. More likely though, some other tree species will succeed in their place. So it goes.

Being a native of Michigan, I've learned to welcome winter like an old friend. But like most visitors it eventually wears its welcome out. A short stay would be fine... but five months?
Alas, we slouch along, well past the days of looking out in wonder at freshly fallen snow. Skiing? Sledding? Been there, done that. The thrill is gone. Sure, by Christmas the days are beginning to get longer, but who needs longer days like this?
Now the urge is just to hunker down, pull the afghan to our chins and dream of places warm.
Ah, but spring will come. It's an immutable law of nature. Slowly there will be more green than white, more blue than gray, more energy than lethargy. We will be renewed! And maybe this year, we'll savor it even more, with a joy that those poor souls stuck in warm climates just can't appreciate.
 
That was like a good book summarized into a few paragraphs, thumbs up!
 
Agreed. As I get older I appreciate the warmth of summer so much more.
 
Not bad for post #5.
 
Welcome to the forum Ribcracker. I'm originally from Northern Ohio, so I know your climate well. As a kid growing up I thought having four seasons and a snowy winter was great. Once I started to drive then the snow wasn't so welcome. I'm in Western NC these days and we get four seasons, but snowy winters aren't as common. Last winter we had two good snows of around six inches and that was about it. We do get some cold temperatures, however, and just set a few records last week with readings as low as 14F a couple of nights.
 
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The older I get the shorter summer gets. Go figure. Must be that not have another heat source thing.
 
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Excellent post, Ribcracker.
 
Great post. There has been a lot of work on remedies for the Emerald Ash Borer. In Ont., the insecticide treatments are not difficult and not expensive, if you have a licence. $100+ per tree if you don't. My ash will not get treated and will become firewood. It's so sad. I'm hoping to take the course for pesticide application this winter.

They will come back eventually but more & more trees are becoming endangered to pests from other parts of the world each year as well as being stressed by climate change which brings more weather upheaval.

I understand this is a wood heating forum but I hope each of you are doing your part to ensure that there are forests for our grandchildren to harvest, just as we are today. I've planted a few thousand trees and most importantly, planted over a hundred different species. My hope is that the diversity will allow enough to be protected.

Yup, looking forward to Spring already and it's not officially winter yet.
 
Just be glad we don't live in the west side of the state. Grand rapids already got almost 3 feet dumped on it last week cumulatively.(Wife's family is there)

Over here in Livingston county got about 5 inches on the ground.

Was nice though going to joe louis arena the other night in the snow though to watch the wings lose to the canadians. poopy but a beautiful night.
 
When I was a kid and we'd be let out of school in June, summer seemed like an era. It went on for a good long time, and even though we didn't want to go back in the fall, we got a belly-full of it.

Now summer seems like 12 weekends and the 4th of July. I remember one summer in the 1990s where it rained every weekend in the summer. Boy, were there some grumpy people in the office!

I still make the best of winter once the shortest day goes by. The cold, crisp, clear days are enjoyable. I'm usually ready for spring by March though.

This year I'm behind the curve on firewood, vehicle maintenance, etc. That's not the way I like to be....
 
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Lovely read, thank you for taking the time to put into words what many can relate to so closely : )

I enjoy bundling up in the appropriate clothing (often waterproof with our winter rains here) and embracing the outdoors. I despise the indoors no matter the weather.

I need to get our fire going here along with some brunch; enjoy your day : )
 
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