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Friday, December 22, 2017

Wood Stove Warmth


Last night the temperature dropped to 7 degrees and we received 6" of fresh snow to wake up to this morning. Carol got up at 2:00 AM to put fresh firewood in the stove and I got up at 5:30 and kept the fire burning. When it gets down to single digit at night we need to keep feeding the stove to keep the temperature consistent and not to allow it to get cold in the house. Our stove will burn for 6 hours before the coals go out and we have to start all over again from scratch.

We get our exercise each day hiking out to the wood shed to haul firewood into the house. We have a canvas log carrier that Carol made and between those trips and hauling out the ashes from the burnt firewood we get plenty of exercise. The below photo shows how we start each day and when it is going to get cold (like last night) we bring in another load or two of firewood. Our exercise comes from going up hill to the shed and trying to maintain our footing coming back.



Even though it was very cold outside it remained in the mid 60's inside so we were all comfortable. It is funny how our bodies adapt to the getting up during the night to feed the wood stove and  we are able to then go back to bed and fall right back to sleep. Then wake up in the morning rested and like we had uninterrupted sleep all through the night.

Or how we are so used to the sounds made when feeding the wood stove that we don't even wake up when it is the other person keeping the fire burning. But when we hear a dog throwing up in the night we bolt out of bed and run fully awake to try to get them outside before they throw up in the house.

Both scenarios are totally different and our reaction is equally different. Seems to me that if the alarm clock manufacturers could duplicate the sound of a dog throwing up they wouldn't need the snooze feature on their clocks. After getting up with the dog it is not as easy to go back to bed and go right to sleep - probably because as fast as we react we rarely get to them in time. After cleaning up dog throw-up, it is actually quite hard to go right back to sleep and most of the time I just stay up. 

4 comments:

Carol said...

We had to laugh. We both had to get new health insurance and yesterday a guy called from Humana wanting to get some history from both of us. One of the many questions he asked was can we walk 1/4 mile....and another was did we have difficulty lifting things. I know that many our age do have that sort of trouble and we are so thankful for our relatively good health.

Gypsy said...

I remember snapping to attention whenever I heard the dog getting ready to throw up. Thankfully it didn't happen often, but it's an unmistakable sound, isn't it. I wish I had the opportunity to get the outdoor exercise you are getting.

JennielynnfromMilton said...

Hi, I just wanted to let you know that I really enjoyed this post, and then laughed very hard at the ending. Thanks again for sharing your lives in such an inspirational, humorous, and informative way. Merry Christmas to you both! Jennie

Charlotte Boord said...

Love your post! I have the same reaction when my cat throws up. I hear her heaving and most of the time I can get to her and move her off the bed/sofa/chair before she does the deed.
I wish you a very Merry and Blessed Christmas, be safe.