“Go to the ant, you sluggard; consider its ways and be wise! It has no commander, no overseer or ruler, yet it stores its provisions in summer and gathers its food at harvest.” (Proverbs 6:6-8) The sun is shining pale in the western winter afternoon sky. It's cold. Colder than I think I can remember. The wind is blowing, howling, whipping around corners and trees leaving winter scapes of drifting white dunes.
But we are toasty warm. My hardworking husband has processed enough oak, maple, boxelder, elm, hackberry and orange osage to last through the winter. The pile almost reaches above the outdoor wood burning furnace. The colder it gets, the hotter the burn. And the more blessed I feel. We may have to tend the fire an extra time, but I do not need to fret about rising electric or gas prices. Our heat is supplied through a renewable source. And that renewable source will most likely last us a life time.
Especially since the great storm of 2008 when we lost huge oaks around the farm. We haven't even begun to process one huge 150 year old oak that simply broke in the 94 mph straight line winds that woke us up one morning this past summer. Something to do perhaps once the temperatures exceed 30-40 degrees.
In the meantime I am blessed to live in a small well heated home. The temperatures will fall tonight to -18 degrees Fahrenheit (that's -27 degrees C for those of you who are more familiar with that temperature scale). Brrrr ccccold. We will bundle up together for comfort and listen to the wind's conversation. Makes me wonder.....
Today's Journey Joy - husband with foresight and warm homes
