One new skill that I've acquired since coming to the Kootenays is that of wood splitting. Pictured above (I still can't figure out how to move around pictures in this blog) are the stumps that I split. I've discovered that I do enjoy splitting wood with a wedge and sledgehammer. I have yet to become confident with the axe. Dave has taken down several trees and you can see the stumps scattered on the ground. One of my jobs is to get the stumps into one of our splitting areas and to make the first split with the wedge. It does irritate the nerve endings in my arms a bit, but I can manage about 30 minutes of splitting at one time. Pine is tough stuff to split, I generally find, but fir and spruce and cedar are fine. We've got a good sized wood pile now, along with two smallish wood sheds so I think we're nearly ready for winter. This past winter was a cold one and we were away for two months. However, we haven't had the heat on in our place since Feb. 4th when we got home and had to get the place warmed up. Everything else has been done with the woodstove.
I never split wood without thinking about the pioneers who showed up in Canada without chainsaws or even an axe. I just can't imagine how they survived. Getting a year's supply of wood in no small feat. Wood-wise, I think we're ready for winter!
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