Winter Fuel...

Our winter fuel supply arrived on Saturday, courtesy of the multi-talented Monsieur Bourreau...

Interestingly it was three weeks later than we have received it for the last two years and had increased in price slightly. BUT...

When you think M Bourreau, who is in his eighties, has cut down, sawn up, transported and matured the wood. He has then re-cut it into 50cm lengths and split where necessary and then loaded the trailer and driven it to our house... All on his own!!! He certainly has earned his money.

We get the same trailer load of six steres, which generally sees us through the winter. We are fortunate that the house is well insulated and maintains its heat for long periods. 

All the remains now is to stack it up. Elizabeth!!!!

At least it keeps you fit and works up an appetite. I like to think we will still be doing it into our eighties!!!

All completed and sheeted in about an hour and a half...

With a brew in between of course.

To see a comparison follow the links to - Wood 2011 and Wood 2012

Note... Elizabeth begs to differ about wood stacking in her eighties... Ahhh Well.

Preparing for winter!

The temperature this afternoon was...

and what were we doing?

Breaking up sticks for lighting our fire during the winter. The sticks are mainly dead branches which get blown down from our large poplar trees when it is windy. We collect them up and then when it is very dry we break them into usable lengths and store them in the shed..

This year we also had some of our own logs from the trees we felled. These have matured outside for the last couple of years and now, as they are dry as a bone, they have been moved to our woodpile and sheeted up.

So we have a bonus of about three steres before we get our usual delivery from M. Bourreau...

If you need any kindle we have a hole full and you are free to come and help yourself... 

But if you think we are breaking it up for you... 

"Gathering Winter Fuel..."

After the day we had yesterday with the car problem we were about to relax and start our evening meal when the door bell went... Buzz Buzz... who on earth is that at this time of day?..

It turned out to be Mr Bourreau's grandson asking if they could deliver our firewood for the winter, right away.....

Ahhhhh a trailer load of wood was really the last thing we wanted BUT what can you do?? We accepted and it was duly tipped in a heap adjacent to our wood stack and sheeted up...

Guess what we have been doing today...

Our only hope is that no-one rings the bell tonight... We won't be answering!

When you just can't see the trees for the wood...

Our winter fuel supply arrived today, courtesy of the multi-talented Monsieur Bourreau...

 

 

Using last year's consumption as a guide, we had ordered six stères, but six stères looks an awful lot when you're on the wrong side of building a log pile!!
 

Even M. Bourreau's little dog looked awe struck!

Then as M.Bourreau drove off we were left wondering.....

.....whose idea was it to order six stères??

 Anyway there was no time to argue; we got on with the task of building.

Looks like we're doing quite well until you look behind!

An hour or so later and the job's nearly done. All that remains is to put a cover over the top of the pile...

And there we have it! Our heating supply for the winter even doubles as a home for overwintering bugs. Must remember to give the logs a bash on the ground before we take them indoors to burn!