People love chopping wood. In this activity one immediately sees results.

Albert Einstein

Through the garage window

No fire last night. I did the right things put in the last of the dry wood. Filled it with cardboard. Lit it and went to bed.

I woke it was a chilly 9 inside, 5 in the fireroom. After feeding the cats, I investigated in true CSI style. Yea that’s what I have been binge-watching.

Bad stove design, the damper based on the stupidest coil spring design, had shut itself closed tight soon after I had started it.

It turned out to be a good thing, I didn’t have any dry woodcut or chopped inside.

I pulled out the half-burnt dry logs, restacked them added a plastic bag and lit. Instant fire.

Like I said, it was a good thing because my back was still very sore and rushing outside with the chainsaw just wasn’t gonna happen.

Getting out of bed this morning, I looked like a turtle trying to right itself in a big windstorm.

I still needed to cut and chop wood today and tomorrow. Another cold front was coming in. It would last a week, they say.

If I continued to ration, I might make it.

I am going to go enjoy the perfect cup, perfect coz I was able to make one and get it back upstairs.

The fire is out again an hour later. I need to go out and cut and chop, no choice. It is near noon. I have an old back brace that the Velcro doesn’t work anymore. I am going to try fastening it to my lower back somehow.

Then it’s time to get the saw ready and get dressed for outdoors.

I cut, cut more and cut more again. I cut until I was soaked in sweat. Then I loaded it on the sled for the icy trip inside.


Then I hauled the wood, stacked and hauled again. When I finish that I will stack it inside, rest and chop.

I made it back inside before I realized I forgot the snow for melt. I had already stacked, fed the big cat outside, and carried a big bag of pellets inside.

To be honest I am too exhausted,  maybe too exhausted to chop. I needed to get snow no matter what.

In a few minutes, I will put my overhauls back on grab the machete, and cut igloo ice chunks to fill the big bowl. Once that is done I just need to fill one litter box, tomorrow another, then I can justify collapsing.

3 PM I am on the way to Yara to kill a dictator. I got enough work done today, now it’s time to play.

17:05 feeding time for the cats. The fire is warm, and I am taking a break from the game for a bit. I have enough wood for a few days. I have a few small logs and a giant heavy wet one. If it is inside and cut into blocks, it might dry in a few weeks. Sure as hell I will need it then.

Ya I couldn’t help it. The splitting maul (axe)was leaned up against the wood begging to be used. So I split enough for the next load. I just don’t know when to quit.