One of the tasks of Fall is to collect and ready the wood pile. This pile is a combination of wood from trees that have been fallen and split on my property and those from other places. In recent years there have been more foreign than local wood.
The pile needs to be close to the house to minimize the walk through the snow that will cover the ground in later months.
As I restack the wood I realize that while I am removing the homes of some neighborhood mice and chipmunks, I will be creating new ones that are temporary until that part of the wood pile needs to be moved inside.
The more freshly split wood has a sweet smell to it while older pieces, gray with age, have little scent and a higher occupancy of grubs and other insects resting between the bark and the wood.
The wood needs to be divided between the fireplace wood, which can be quite long, and the stove wood, which can be no longer than 18 inches. The smaller firebox of the stove needs more careful feeding so its door can always be closed. We were once reminded of the inflexibility of wood as a slightly longer piece shattered the stove’s window.
It’s important to stack the wood straight as any little tilt can become the means of a collapse as the stack gains height. The irregularity of each log must be matched with that of another to ensure the pile locks itself together. It is not a difficult puzzle but one that must be attended to carefully.
When finished, the pile needs to be tarped to ensure the wood remains dry. Overlapping sheets keep the long pile covered and any occupants sheltered. We are ready for the cold.
