Without a family, man, alone in the world, trembles with the cold.
Andre Maurois
I can tell it is very cold outside by the air temp inside. Once again our government weather service has released a warning after the fact.
This morning I did the terrible thing. I slept through the alarm to load the fire. It was 9 degrees inside and that was in the fireroom. I knew I was in a little trouble when I saw a cat sleeping on top of the very cold woodstove. Even picking up my metal handle kettle wasn’t enjoyable. What a night to sleep in.
After sacrificing some plastic and carefully arranging some dry pine logs in the woodstove. I was able to get that satisfying crackling sound.
It would take a few hours before I could get the house warm again. When I was reaching for a piece of wood the cats knocked over on the floor, I noticed an extreme blast of cold air. I knew what needed to be done.
Hatchet in hand just wearing a t-shirt I opened the door. Yup -40 at least. I quickly chipped away at the ice around the threshold. It was keeping the door from closing allowing icy cold air in.
I was happy to close that door. I am even happier to hear the kettle starting to boil on the woodstove. Cats were fed and watered I just needed that coffee.
I would have to go out there and chop the last of the woodblocks. I needed to cut more. The log pile was covered in deep snow and with the bitter cold, it was not going to be easy or fun. Dig, then cut, chop.
I needed to do that tomorrow I had no choice. The really strange thing is I feel blessed. I got this. I grew a beard just so I could survive this.
I learned how cold my gloves will be good for, it seems -22 is too cold, by the time I got back in from wood chopping my hands hurt from the cold. No frostbite or anything like that but they hurt. All the blocks of wood except one that was cut too long are now chopped. Next will be chainsawing. I was supposed to save all that for February. It got me through all of January.
I hope there is enough wood left in the pile to get me through till April, I really don’t see how. I needed to clean up the logs before I try to order more. Some of those logs have been there ten years. And are rotten. They need to go.
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