The idea and premise is that heating with wood is a good thing; yes it is a renewable source of fuel, yes it does work and the thing is so do you...
I am fortunate that I can get wood, occassionaly, from a local pallet factory, the bits and pieces that are of no use to them. This is inexpensive and it comes by the dump truck load. The company when it has a truck load and gets to my name brings a dump truck to my farm and the man dumps the load of wood in one big pile. You would think that was a good thing right? Wellllll yes and no. There is wet wood, dry wood, wood to big for the stoves and one shouldn't leave it out in the open as it will get wet in the rain and snow; so what to do?
I and who ever I can con into helping has to sort the wood into piles tote, carry, lug, drag, lift groan, sweat and cuss this into stacks that can be covered with something like tarps to keep the rain off the wood. Then the daily feeding and pleading with the two iron monsters to keep enough heat in them to keep enough heat in me to do it over and over again. You see I heat and cook with wood, I also heat my wash water on the kitchen wood stove. So the tank has to filled by hand and is by a large kettle. Remembering to keep the tank on the kitchen stove filled is important as it takes a long time to heat the water if it should run dry; I might be slow but I do learn, from now on one pot or kettle out one pot or kettle in.
The kitchen stove requires regular feeding as it has a small fire box, if I am lucky I can get the fire to last a couple of hours; if not I have to start over making another fire again so the idea is not to let the fire go out. The gathering room stove is a huge rectangle boxy thing that can hold a lot of wood and I can get three four hours out of it; because I haven't learned to operate it well yet. So, there is this continual padding back and forth on cold days between the stove the wood stack inside and the wood stack outside and working outside splitting wood and lugging it inside to keep the house warm and .... you get the picture even on a good day or night there is something to do. I am learning, slowly, but I am learning how to do all this and get other things done also.
Yes, feeding the monster keeps you busy :) P.S. Cats are having the time of their life hunting the little mice; no comment from the mice....
4 comments:
Hi! I just found your blog one way or the other and we are practically neighbors! I was reading back through your previous posts and saw where you mentioned South Fork and the Dutchman's. I have been there many times. I especially love to go to South Fork to visit Nolt's! Love their greenhouses too! I admire you for moving to the farm. Farm living is the best! You are really toughing it though buying an Amish house and having no electricity or plumbing!
We have an insert in our fireplace and when I buy wood I want it already split so I don't have to. Unfortunately I often have to split some of it anyway. I don't really mind splitting wood as long as it's not too hard to split! It's kind of enjoyable if it splits easily. But get those twisted hard pieces and...oh what a pain it is!! This winter has been mild and I haven't had a fire but 3 times. We also have central heat and air. We just use the insert if it gets real cold to help with the heating bill!
Glad I found "Oak Spring Farm." I'll keep reading and see how you are making out! I live in Somerset.
Ahhh! the "zen of wood" as I like to think of preparing and using wood for energy. I have done so for 30 years. You may have a lot to learn. Two things you seem to have missed are: there are hot water tanks that can be piped to a wood stove to heat the water. (If you do not have running water you may need a hand pump to keep it filled.)and, one of your stoves should be an airtight that will give better heat for longer. (last thing at night burn greener wood and it will hold some heat overnight.)
On the positive side. Doing wood should keep you in good physical shape. Think of it as your exercise program. People pay big money at some club for that!
Finally, Have a years supply of wood cut and stacked by early summer so it will cure properly by Fall. "Work is a form of prayer" according to the mystic Evelyn Underhill.
Now there's a farmgirl in her overalls!
Sounds like you're learning the ropes quickly! Or should I say, fires!
Sounds like you are keeping busy! LOL it took me a little while to get to know my stoves well enough as to how to closed to keep the dampers etc and still keep a hot fire. I can now keep a fire in the cookstove for a couple hours and my wood heater I can keep it for up to 5 hours now without having to check it! You will get the hang of it...
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