Let it snow, let it snow, let it snow!

We received a foot of fresh powder today, covering the forest with a fresh blanket of white. Usually we have snow from mid November through April, and sometimes into May. Some complain, some rejoice, and some just keep shoveling. In Western Maine most people enjoy the snow's recreational value: skiing, snowmobiling, and snowshoeing are so much easier and more enjoyable with snow on the ground! Soon we'll be tracking deer and moose looking for shed antlers. This is one of our favorite winter adventures, especially with young folks.

With the snow comes the beginning of our trail building. A trail to the basement door, one to the cabin, one to the chicken coop, the pigpen, and several leading to the large woodpile. If you don't plan well, you're condemned to wading thru deep snow drifts each time you fetch firewood, or travel to the other various parts that make up our home, or what we call "Camp." Firewood is a daily chore here, as that is our only source of heat. If we don't feed the stove, we don't stay warm, period.With that comes a lot of planning. If we'll be gone long, we load the stove up good with hardwood. If we're home all day, we just keep it going enough to stay comfortable. Luckily the house heats up quickly. George Carlin once said "Trees...first you chop 'em down, then you chop 'em up!" That's exactly true, and luckily we have a large sustaining woodlot that we get our wood from. We cut about 8 cords a year, or at least we should. A few winters ago the legs on our kitchen table got shorter and anything made of wood including old furniture, a bird house and many old pallets found their way into the stove. I discovered that Lincoln Logs make good kindling in a pinch! Finally, we seem to be on track and usually have wood put up ahead of time. I truly enjoy cutting it, stacking it, and burning it.

I had an uncle that lived in Fryburg, ME. He was the quintessential woodsman, complete with the red and black plaid wool coat. Uncle Clint would take to the woods with his ax, and if he broke the handle, he would return to the woodshed, take out a piece of White Ash, and cut, carve, and fit a new ax handle. Within an hour or two he was back in business. He once told me that each piece of wood warms him up 6 times. Once when he fells the tree and bucks up the logs, another when he splits each log. Another time when he pitches each stick into the truck of trailer, and then again when he removes it and stacks it in the woodpile. A fifth time when firewood is brought into the house, and finally one last time when it's actually burned.

It certainly would be easier if we were able to simply turn the dial on a thermostat to 68 and let the fuel burning furnace or electric heat magically come on, but that would be easy, and I don't do anything easy! Our driveway is nicknamed "The Hard Way." We live up to that. Everything I've ever done has been the hard way.....