Chores

This time of the year there are several must-do tasks that, well, must be done in order to avoid doing a lot more work later. A "you can pay me now, or pay me [more] later" situation. Two of these chores are stacking firewood and raking leaves. Of these, I think stacking the firewood is much more satisfying.

Admittedly we enjoy the ultimate luxury of a real woodshed. It was built pre-mid last century when the only heat in the house was the living room fireplace and a trash burner in the kitchen. During the remodeling that we have done over the last several years we installed central heat, removed the baseboard electric installed when hydroelectricity was abundantly cheap, replaced the heavy dirty-burning family room wood stove with a small EPA approved model, and rebuilt the fireplace to install an attractive modern clean burning efficient insert with a quiet fan.

Raking the leaves is the end of something, and worse, when you are done there is nothing but bare trees. Stacking the wood on the other hand requires geometrical reasoning, planning, and problem solving. Even better, when you are done you have something to show for your work, and you know you will benefit all Winter.

PS: I started this post in Nov., but never finished it. Decided to post it now that it is Winter and I'm shovelling snow, warming by the fire, and resolving to procrastinate less.