Late summer, early autumn is a beautiful time on the mountain.
The late summer flowers bloom and those who's time has past have gone to seed. Even seed pods have a beauty all their own.
The dog days of summer are replaced by a chill in the air, making a campfire inviting and pleasant.
It's the time of year that sees a lot of action at the cabin!
That's because it is time to gather firewood and haul it home for the winter. For the men in the family, this is a time of interest and anticipation. I think it is their favorite sport.
My task is to find the dead trees that need cut down. It is kind of like a gigantic jig-saw puzzle. At first it seems that there are only three or four trees that are dead in the forest. But, after careful hiking and exploring to all the property's corners, an amazing assortment of dead trees are found and marked for cutting. For fun, I counted them this year and came up with sixty-five. Falling the trees and taking their limbs off is a task that befalls others in the family.
While they work, I'm happy to do my own thing. I call it "playing pioneer" and it is quite good for the heart and soul.
The appetites of those who work hard must be satisfied!
Before long the log stack grows, eventually to a size approved by the woodsmen as "enough". Each log is then cut into sixteen-inch lengths. Then comes the task of stacking each one in the trailer.
Some are heavy, some are light. Some are large, some are small. But together they make up a warming stack of firewood for winter's use.
All in all, more than eight cords of firewood made it down the mountain, ready to heat in the winter months. There's nothing quite as nice as "mountain wood" in a firebox to keep a house cozy and warm.
Of course, after all that work, there was plenty of tea, a healthy reward for a job well done.
I bet it is really lovely to escape to the woods for a few days. And that is quite the load of firewood. Enough to keep you warm all winter.
Firewood is a wonderful option over these oil prices. Eight cords! That represents a lot of hard work. Very satisfying, I'm sure.
I love autumn in the mountains! And I love the smell of mountain wood fires all through the winter!
Years ago I just loved cutting and bringing home firewood. How lovely to get to play pioneer in the cabin and in the woods. I love your photos of the mountains.
That all just looks so homey! That is a lot of wood. how nice to have that task behind the men and you can look forward to many cozy fires ahead.
Load more...
Thank you for commenting on my blog post. I am always happy to hear from blog readers. Your words encourage and inspire me. I am glad you stopped by to share conversation, recipes, ideas, and thoughts on creating a welcoming home.
Welcome to Gracious Hospitality where we celebrate family, home and garden. Please pull up a comfortable chair and sip on a cuppa tea with me as we share conversation, recipes, ideas, and thoughts on creating a welcoming home.
Living artistically, aesthetically, and creatively means that we develop sensitivity to beauty and use it to create an environment that nurtures those around us. Homemaking arts provide an outlet for the creator and provides nurture and a cocoon of tranquility for others.The beauty, organization, and development of the home environment is enhanced by a gracious, gentle spirit of hospitality - the final brush-stroke on the palette of a beautiful home.
...where the welcome is warm and the teapot is on.
Of Afternoon Tea...
Cashew Cream for Scones - Those with an affection for afternoon tea delight in the creamy flavor and texture of clotted cream. This is a special, thick cream that's made by proces...
Walnut Cookies - 2 cups walnuts, finely chopped 2 cups flour, whole wheat or pastry pinch of salt 1/2 cup coconut oil 3/4 - 1 cup maple syrup 1 tsp. vanilla Mix all ingre...
Come let us have some tea and continue to talk about happy things.
Gracious Hospitality, making tea a part of daily life, one sip at a time.
T.E.A.
Awesome Inc. theme. Theme images by Ollustrator. Powered by Blogger.
