Firewood 101

Firewood is more than just something you get so you can have the ambiance of a real fire when you live in the Grand Canyon. It is the main source of heat for your home for the entire, long, cold winter we've heard. Sure, houses have a regular gas heater that runs on propane but we've heard countless stories about the evils of the price of propane. Most people just use their wood burning stove and don't even turn on their furnace. So, we've been scared into stocking as much wood as we can gather during the next few months. We are half way through our free four cords that they offer and then we'll have to start buying permits for additional wood if we think the four cords aren't going to cover us. This top picture is the pile of wood that Gary has been splitting at night. The front pile has been split and the back still needs to be split.

Here is Tom, the main labor force. He's in the backyard at the wood pile we've been stacking. Notice how it's leaning forward? I'm guessing we'll be restacking it soon. Tom is tireless in his efforts to bring the split pile around back every day before Gary starts splitting again that night.

Here's Logan with one of many wheelbarrow loads for the day. I can't believe how big these boys are and how much they can lift! Load after load they still race the empty wheelbarrow up to the front of the house after they've dumped it.

Ethan and Dylan can't quite carry as much wood so we've finally found the charger for the tractor and then we've taught E to drive. YIKES! Dylan rides shotgun most loads. It can carry four or five pieces a load so they do actually help and he hasn't run anyone over yet. Dylan isn't required to wear a helmet to ride, he had just jumped off his bike.

So, there you have it. Firewood 101 courtesy of the Bishop family!