I have had these moments before, something that you have seen or known about for a long time, but never really paid attention to, then all of a sudden it hits you. I blame it, at least in part, to moving too fast and not appreciating what is around you. That might not be the case in your situation, but most certainly is in mine. Thanks for the posts on your ideas, Mark, it is always good to see that there are still people that think outside the box. Stay warm.

I think that's the corollary to the theorem that as soon as you learn what something is, you see it everywhere.

I have the same worries about our wood supply- down to less than a cord already, but still 80 days left in the heating season.... But I will pick up a few trucks of dried larch from the tree breeding science station on Saturday. That should help balance the equation.

But the other day as I was worrying about the firewood, I looked around where I was walking- cedar branches as big as my forearm lay literally in a carpet on the plantation floor. I felt a lot better after that. If all else fails, I can gather enough branches for a day's heating in about 15 minutes.

You're right --- we've got masses of standing and fallen dead wood on the property. I guess the question is if it's dry enough to burn, but if we put some in the shed now, it probably will be in a month when we run out of the other wood.