(Yes, I start lists by counting up from zero when it suits me.)
I heat with wood. I do it myself and it’s not a small feat. I find trees, fell them, buck them into rounds, split the rounds, load the split wood, truck it, stack it, let it dry, haul it to the wood stove, burn it, and I even sweep up the ash.
When the long winter subsides I feel a sense of accomplishment that’s hard to describe. If you’ve done it you know what I’m talking about. If not, you might think I’m a loon. Here’s a hint: heat does not come from thermostats and food does not come from grocery stores… I’m just sayin’.
That said, as summer slid into fall I decided I had less wood stacked and waiting than I wanted. I might have enough… but not the level of excess enough that it takes to make me comfortable. Nor did I have additional resources to devote to the endeavor.
It is times like this that one can either give in to despair or (the horror!) spend money. I chose to buy some extra firewood. It tells you something about homesteading (or my attitude) that buying a product I need with money I’ve earned seems like failure. (For most folks that’s where everything they’ve ever possessed or consumed comes from.) “You’ve gotta’ do what you’ve gotta do.” I sighed and I picked up the phone. Time to buy firewood…