To one who has faith, no explanation is necessary. To one without faith, no explanation is possible.
Thomas Aquinas
Like the song says there ain’t no easy way. It is 3 AM I had to sway and stumble and grab every handhold I could just to get up to go pee. Coughing and sneezing all the way. Spine pain, muscle weakness all part of the trip.
Later in the day, I will have to do what I have been putting off for days. I needed to chainsaw and chop wood. It was going to be -17 tonight and -18 the next night. The ice now surrounding the wood was going to be a problem, the woodpile was getting low the chance of the chain hitting the ground and getting dull was extremely high. That is life in the fast lane. The other problem was the freeze-thaw cycle it would mean that the wood is encased in solid ice. Twice the cutting, half the result.
Will the work get done? Needs doing or freeze, only one choice here.
It is 9:46 AM. I am feeling a little less than optimistic. Maybe after I have the hot cup of coffee beside me, I will feel different. The aches and pains are all here today, right shoulder joint, burning in both hands, muscles near left elbow hurting, spine hurting, even my neck today. I am sure it has to do with the cold inside the house. The wood debris ran out and as I took a look inside the woodstove I could see the ash was up to the door opening that needed doing today as well. Just one more thing.
The thing that made me smile today was a song that was sung just for me. Thank you
Now I gotta wonder did I pick the song or did the song pic me. If there is a woodcutters’ nirvana. Then the opposite is true. I was there.
Logs embedded in ice, hidden by deep snow, every piece a struggle, every piece. Then the logs were all heavy and wet. They were going to be hard to chop. Even harder to light the fire.
I had to rest twice just to get them up the driveway.
That was interesting, the wood was heavy and hard to split, my back is sore and muscles too. I got that job done loaded them in the old wheelbarrow and hauled up the ramp. Technically I made it inside then I had a spill, don’t worry no cats were injured.
Next, I had to empty the ashes. Burning wood debris wasn’t my greatest triumph, almost no heat and tons and tons of ash.
I got that outside and went to get snow for melt. I notice that black was coming off my gloves from the ash. I wasn’t worried about it, but I guess God was. As I got to the door I dropped the bowls and spilled all the snow. I went back and got more this time I took the time to wash my leather gloves in the snow.
The snow had stopped falling, and I could see blue sky and even better the sun came out. I put the bowls down and snapped the pics you see below. If I had not dropped the bowls I would have missed it.
I loaded the fire with snow-covered logs hoping that some heat would still be in the woodstove to dry out the logs. Before I was done I went back out and fed my chickadees, brought in my chopping tools and the face mask I wear to avoid getting ash in my lungs, it didn’t really work with my beard, but I was sure some didn’t get in.
Now I am at my desk ready to open a can of something for lunch, yea I know it’s 4 pm. I had work to do. There just ain’t no easy way here.
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