There comes a time every summer when you feel it, you know fall is just around the corner. The leaves on the ash trees are beginning to turn, the maples are taking on that olive tone. We are fortunate to be experiencing beautiful weather right now – cool and clear. With the realization that the seasons are beginning to change also comes a little panic feeling about what needs to be done before winter gets here. On the top of the list is cutting and splitting wood.
The weather was just amazing and we have been taking Mondays off in lieu of a week’s vacation, the idea being that we would take the boat to the lake for a little R&R. Winter is calling though and our shed has a limited supply of wood stored. The house would be quite frigid in January if we couldn’t at least put a fire in the big fireplace in the living room. Instead of boating yesterday Bill and I cut and split about a cord of cherry and ash that was sitting in the back forty. It’s work, but it’s satisfying seeing cord wood in a nice stacked row drying out. Having a splitter makes it possible for us to do the work, if we had to use a splitting maul and ax I’m afraid we would have to hire a much younger man to do the job.
It took us only 3 to 4 hours to cut and split what we did. When we came up to make dinner I was concerned with just how achy I was and thought about getting out of bed this morning. You know that feeling when muscles are screaming as you put your feet to the floor? Or going down the stairs heading for that first cup of coffee? I was pleasantly surprised this morning. I felt good, like I’d done an honest day’s work. I told Bill I could do that everyday (it’s nice working hard and having something to show for it). Now we will see if it hits me tomorrow, sometimes it takes a day.
Fort Pelham Farm 
On one hand I really envoy you folks living where you do. It brings back childhood memories of when I lived up in your neck of the woods and back in the day we only had wood for heating and cooking. My mom had a wood stove in the kitchen and that also is where we got hot water from. I used to go with my Dad to local sawmills to get free slabs that we would bring home and cut up with hand buck saws for our supply. Being much younger then, I didn’t really mind the work, but now being in my late 60’s I am thankful for our natural gas heat and mild winters down here in TN and the luxury of having that available to me. Were it not for those long cold New England Winters and all my grand-kids living down this way I would almost be tempted to come back to my roots. So in the meantime I will enjoy your blog and continue to bring back memories from my home away from home. May you and your family be blessed and thank you for your sharing stories.
Thank you so much. I’m not so sure I’d like living away from the winters here. I have grown to like them. You notice I didn’t say love. It’s a lot of work but the peace and quiet after a snowstorm makes it all worth it for me – think snowshoeing in the woods and listening to the birds.
Nothing like getting your own wood and burning it. My aunt always said it warms you twice. We used to do that when my father was still alive. It was actually a wonderful family outing. He connected an old time furnace to the regular furnace in their house. When he was gone the insurance man had a fit, and we haven’t used it since. So sad.