. . . mighty fires grow.What you see there is the beginning of the woodpile. Welcome to fall! That wood is all from the Kentucky Coffee Bean tree (no, it does not actually produce coffee beans--I don't know why it's called that) that fell over in the hollow during the Gale of '09. A. cut it and split it in July right where it fell, and yesterday we moved it out of the hollow and into pile formation.
When I say "we," I really mean "A." because the location of the tree meant that all the wood had to be carried about 50 feet and then thrown over a fence into the back of the truck. A. wouldn't let me help. He has some old-fashioned notion that pregnant women should not be hauling and hurling large, heavy chunks of wood. And I didn't argue, because truthfully? My back has been kind of hurting lately.
Oh, the shame of weakness.
So I sat on a garden bench with the dogs and watched A. labor for two hours hauling wood. No mere mortal could have done that much work. Luckily, A. is not a mere mortal--he's a beast.
Then he drove the truck around back and we stacked it all on the much-coveted pallets. I did help with the stacking. I refuse to surrender to weakness.
We have a little more of our own wood to stack--the black walnut that tried to crush the sheep barn, in fact--and then the big wood delivery that we purchase will come sometime this weekend. And after that is stacked, we will definitely be ready for the cold weather.
Go on, Old Man Winter--BRING IT.
When I say "we," I really mean "A." because the location of the tree meant that all the wood had to be carried about 50 feet and then thrown over a fence into the back of the truck. A. wouldn't let me help. He has some old-fashioned notion that pregnant women should not be hauling and hurling large, heavy chunks of wood. And I didn't argue, because truthfully? My back has been kind of hurting lately.
Oh, the shame of weakness.
So I sat on a garden bench with the dogs and watched A. labor for two hours hauling wood. No mere mortal could have done that much work. Luckily, A. is not a mere mortal--he's a beast.
Then he drove the truck around back and we stacked it all on the much-coveted pallets. I did help with the stacking. I refuse to surrender to weakness.
We have a little more of our own wood to stack--the black walnut that tried to crush the sheep barn, in fact--and then the big wood delivery that we purchase will come sometime this weekend. And after that is stacked, we will definitely be ready for the cold weather.
Go on, Old Man Winter--BRING IT.
10 comments:
KY coffee tree - the settlers did make a coffee substitute from it.
Maybe you shouldn't taunt ol' man winter. Your dad didn't want the walnut to work with? Beautiful lumber.
I agree! Be careful what you wish for! LOL!
Anonymous: He took back some bowl blanks cut from the root of the walnut, which has a kind of burl in it. But he's limited by shipping costs, so he only took what would fit in boxes allowable on a plane. If he had the means, he would take whole trees, I'm sure.
A. saved the majority of the trunk to cut into rough boards with his Alaska sawmill chainsaw attachment.
Ha - anonymous, that's exactly what I thought: "Don't taunt Old Man Winter." And I thought it in the "Do not taunt Happy Fun Ball" voice from Saturday Night Live.
I'm reckless. I say you give Old Man Winter what-for.
When your bedroom wall is all frosty just remember you called out Old Man Winter.
I gotta tell ya Kristin being a yankee that was transplanted to the south a long, long time ago the only thing I really miss is the gathering of firewood for winter. But do take advantage of A. being all manly and stuff I mean aside from growing a child in your womb there has to be some perks!
Sometimes you live my fantasy life.
This is one of those times.
Minus the dead vole.
Our neighbor has a Kentucky coffee bean tree; it has pods that resemble large beans of some sort.
As for Old Man Winter, I'd hope he holds off until baby is safely born and all is well with the world.
No weak woman would taunt a North East winter like you just did.
Therefore, I pronounce you Not Weak.
Crazy, but not weak.
Stay warm.
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