Gathering Wood

Getting wood used to be a pretty endless job, especially in colder climates. At one time, people burned wood to cook with all year long, as well as to heat their homes in winter.

In Cleared for Planting, when the Moretzes weren't busy elsewhere on the farm, they cut, hauled, split, and stacked wood. When Edgar saw how little firewood the Cagles had, he seemed worried. Since this would be the first winter Emma had spent in the Appalachian Mountains, she didn't know what to expect, but everyone said it would be rough.

Much of what I wrote about in Cleared for Planting comes from personal experience. Although I have never done the initial cutting or splitting, I've watched, and I've helped with sawing the logs into usable lengths and carrying and stacking the pieces. Pulling one end of a crosscut saw was hard work, but it made me feel special when Dad was on the other end. 

My father and his family had sawmilled, so he knew about wood. We only used pine for starter or kindling and burned hardwoods. Burning pine causes creosote buildup in the flue or chimney, which can cause a chimney fire and burn down the house. 

I'm glad we don't have to work so hard to heat and cook today, but fresh cut wood still brings back wonderful memories. As the old saying goes, "Cutting wood warms you twice - when you do the work and when you burn the wood."

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