Inspiration struck this week end
Traveling Wood
With decent snow, a new chainsaw, a large sled and the recently discovered “tire splitting” technique, we’ve been amassing a large quantity of wood.
Here’s what getting it home looks like, I’ve been working on 4 poplars which domino’d onto one another during the last surprise wind storm.
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The sled & ATV combo is also a great way to move children around.
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Kettle to the metal
We’ve been having static electricity problem in the house so we decided to take humidification seriously. Pots filled with water on the stove tend to be noisy so it was time to go legit with an actual kettle.
Friends gave us this great device
one vinegar bath later, it’s back in business.
We haven’t had static electricity issues since the kettle came online, unlike its modern counterparts, it will never break.
We upgraded our wood splitting setup with an old tire
Protected: Bigger, Stronger, Faster
Gave the Sweet Heart a thorough clean up
It served us very well throughout the Winter but it was hard to find a time to clean it up because it was always hot.
Humbling cold
Nights bellow -20°C are forecast for the next few days and I happen to be home alone. It’s humbling to be solely responsible for keeping warm. All the evening chores are mine too.
Getting the shower ready
- break the ice in little pieces
who needs Minecraft?
2. Scoop out the little pieces with a milk crate (holes to let water through make it easier)
3. Let things settle for clear water
4. Fill pots
5. Apply heat
Before dusk I gave the chicken a path to their food to stretch their legs and fill up one last time before a long night.
They also got home delivered warm water.
I really hope they’ll be all right.
Should be enough wood for the night, emergency fire starter kit included.
I “ran” electricity to the house for convenience. I’ll do it right when the ground thaws but in the meantime this will make so we don’t have to worry so much about charging and going outside to do so.
Wood push
One day we’ll be ahead and have wood that’s been dried for more than a few months.
First night in the house at -20°C
I slept next to the stove to keep feeding it through the night; woke up 3 times, the sky was amazing. The house isn’t insulated optimally yet. I don’t like that we don’t have an alternative to the one stove for heating. It’s low tech and has a low chance of breaking down but I will be reassured when we have another one in the addition we’ll build.
Looks like we’ll be able to spend Winters with 100% renewable fuel sourced within 2000′. Improvements will be quite welcome if we go through something like last Winter.