My husband and I spent many a year stacking and splitting wood. Though I miss the firelight, warmth, and the fact I can warm up a pot of soup when the power goes out, I do not miss the pain and stress on my body. Time to rest on that score. I do wonder if our need for recognition these days is one reason why people turn up their noses at manual labor and the satisfaction it brings. You're right about that satisfaction. It feels good to get such a project done and out of the way. Seeing that stack of wood squirreled away for winter gave us a sense of wealth, as did the bottled fruits of our garden labors. Did people a few generations need anything more than that from their labors?
That looked like real hard work. That wood looked like many future scented fires to enjoy and I liked the words at the end about respecting hands on work.
So glad those days are over! But wood burning stoves are so efficient (if it's a good one) in creating warmth. Those chilly redwood forest winters proved ours was a winner. Our old Ashley really cranked!
The only thing I can think of is you might have turned to someone who builds things from wood. A big block of cherry would have been nice. I burn wood in the winter because it gives the home a different feel. When you lay on the couch and it is already warm and you hear the fire in the wood stove popping, well you can sleep on a different level. The heat will ease down the different hallways to the different rooms and warm them with the same ease of a grandmother putting a blanket on you on a cold night.
Great analogy Paul, love the grandmother image. Yes I’ve built a lot of furniture from cherry over the years. I bought a big load of it from Pennsylvania years ago. It’s one of my favorite woods. Other favorites include white ash and white oak, although I’ve dabbled with some mahogany too. And teak (sustainably harvested) for the boat and outdoors. This tree was and remains inaccessible for a portable saw mill.
My husband and I spent many a year stacking and splitting wood. Though I miss the firelight, warmth, and the fact I can warm up a pot of soup when the power goes out, I do not miss the pain and stress on my body. Time to rest on that score. I do wonder if our need for recognition these days is one reason why people turn up their noses at manual labor and the satisfaction it brings. You're right about that satisfaction. It feels good to get such a project done and out of the way. Seeing that stack of wood squirreled away for winter gave us a sense of wealth, as did the bottled fruits of our garden labors. Did people a few generations need anything more than that from their labors?
Oh thank you Sue! You’ve put your finger on it!
That looked like real hard work. That wood looked like many future scented fires to enjoy and I liked the words at the end about respecting hands on work.
Thanks Jane!
So glad those days are over! But wood burning stoves are so efficient (if it's a good one) in creating warmth. Those chilly redwood forest winters proved ours was a winner. Our old Ashley really cranked!
Awesome memories!
The only thing I can think of is you might have turned to someone who builds things from wood. A big block of cherry would have been nice. I burn wood in the winter because it gives the home a different feel. When you lay on the couch and it is already warm and you hear the fire in the wood stove popping, well you can sleep on a different level. The heat will ease down the different hallways to the different rooms and warm them with the same ease of a grandmother putting a blanket on you on a cold night.
Great analogy Paul, love the grandmother image. Yes I’ve built a lot of furniture from cherry over the years. I bought a big load of it from Pennsylvania years ago. It’s one of my favorite woods. Other favorites include white ash and white oak, although I’ve dabbled with some mahogany too. And teak (sustainably harvested) for the boat and outdoors. This tree was and remains inaccessible for a portable saw mill.