Thursday, January 1, 2026

Back to bread-and-water

 

The woodpile rests on pallets that measure a RCH more than 15' from left to right and 4' along the length of the sticks.

This is the end I am adding to. I was able to work an hour in the morning and then another hour in the afternoon. I dragged 48" long "sticks" in from the woods. 


The pulling gets easier on later trips as the snow firms-up. Snow is a funny material. If you stir it up or pack it slightly, the flakes weld together and it becomes firm.

When this sled wears out, I intend to buy the slightly longer variant. It would be nice if the 48" long sticks laid flat.

I manage about one round-trip every 15 minutes and drag back somewhere between 60 and 100 pounds per trip. Our 20,000 BTU/Hr fireplace insert burns between 4-and-5 pounds of dry wood per hour. Consequently, every load I drag back represents between 15 and 20 hours of burn-time.

Lunch was toast and soup, i.e. bread and water. I ate high on the hog the last couple of weeks and my belt shrunk. Time to eat like a peasant and get back to work.

Bonus image

"I thought we had a future!?!"

 

7 comments:

  1. I’ve been thinking of buying a fireplace insert. What brand/model do you have? Are you happy with it? Thanks!

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    Replies
    1. Osburn 2000, worth the investment

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    2. Thanks, I’ll look into it. Canada company I see. I have to mainly determine if, during total power outage, it will heat the house without the blower being able to function.

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    3. I have a Drolet similar to this one: https://www.drolet.ca/us/en/wood-inserts/db03137/

      The insert was a compromise. I wanted a stand-alone wood stove that didn't need electricity to get good heat efficiency. Mrs ERJ wanted something self-contained that was safe for the kids and wasn't in the middle of everything.

      It is only "OK". I like the glass door. I like that it is 70% efficient. It is fussy in terms of how much wood I can load into it and have it burn well. I got a grate so draft could get beneath the burning wood. That helped a lot.

      We looked hard at the Osburn inserts. The wrap-around glass was impressive but I could not justify the price.

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  2. That wood looks good. Most doesn't need splitting.---ken

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  3. that ice cream . . . . .2 in the pink . . . .. . LOL

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    Replies
    1. Oh My Goodness. I am so naive. That didn't even register.

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