Wood Heats Three Times

The saying is that wood heats you three time: Once when you cut the tree down and into fireplace lengths; once when you split and stack it; and a third time when you burn it. After taking a couple of days off after completing Step One, it was time to get back to working on the wood pile. I took advantage of the coole temperatures and went to work splitting the cut ash and stacking it for use this winter. Having been a standing dead tree, it ws already pretty dry and, being ash, it split easily along the straight grain of the wood. There were only one or two pieces that had significant branches that needed to be split just so. The splitting took only two hours and the stacking another hour, I didn't even break a sweat. Two or three dead ash trees becon me as they stand either on the edge of the trail or a few yards into the woods. There's one giant that is a significant distance off the trail but on the edge of the field. I don't think I can get either the tractor or the ATV into it should I fell that tree. I'll have to check it out though, It's too damn inviting. I don't need any of that wood for burning this year. I think I've got enough to keep us warm and significantly reduce our use of propane. Still, I could fell it, cut it to length and stack it along the side of the trail for next spring.