Jared Gets Big Wood

I have written about my wood many times in previous blogs--FIREWOOD, you disgusting little pigs! Always the pessimist, I began to worry that we wouldn't have enough for the winter (even though we have about 5 cord and we had even less last winter and we were fine). But, as Uncle Karl says, "you can never have enough wood." I called my friend Kevin, from whom I get our firewood. I explained how virtually all we had was gray and white birch, and how we wanted something to "mix in" with the birch--some maple, choke cherry, or, the "golden wood" of them all, oak. Birch, although wonderful for providing root beer flavor, pieces of bark on which to have Sarah Straz write, and the subject line for the finest poem in American Literature (Birches by Frost, of course), is not an ideal firewood. It smells wonderful, burns hot, and is a good hard wood, but, unfortunately, doesnt have the staying power of oak. If I were to put it in terms of sex, birch would be the 14 year old boy "staying home sick" from school, looking at his contraband Hustlers, and oak or maple would be Sting, have tantric with his homely wife--both extremely hot for the first couple of minutes . . .well . . .you get the picture.

So, anyway, we got a super deal on a generous cord of Red Oak, cut from the "Rice Rips Road" in Waterville. At 150 dollars per cord, we truly did get a steal, as just about any other cord of wood up here, this time of year, will run AT LEAST 220 dollars. And, to be honest, I'd rather pay money to support some local Maine woodsman instead of some jihad in dirkadirkastan who rapes Americans for oil. Our oak is even split (well, in big huge chunks anyway . . .I'll have to finesse it a little . . .but I love splitting wood in the winter). Red Oak is awesome, because it is very dense, burns HOT, and burns long.

Sally Piles, in between vomittings, even came outside to see my big wood. My little patient has been doing better today, downing two popsicles, a ginger ale, tons of water, and even some noodle soup I made her by combining egg noodles with chicken broth. We even took a very short walk this evening, and she looks better all around. She does miss her NJ zoo, as we didnt get to go seem them this evening. But hopefully tomorrow.

Only 4 days til' Thanksgiving!!