Monday, March 19, 2012

Geese on icebergs





























Spring has sprung on the river. Maybe not even spring, so much as full blown summer. Yesterday was absolutely phenomenal. Sunny. Hot. No bugs. Paradise.

It was a perfect weekend for being outside. Some people did yard work. Some tried out their bicycles. Most everybody tried on their shorts to see if they shrunk over the winter.

What did we do? We split wood.

See, I had forgotten all about the splitting-wood-thing. Which is silly, I know, because there's been a truckload of logs sitting out front for two months now, waiting for a break in the weather. And how could I forget when we heat our house with wood and therefore carry wood in from the woodpile every darn day all winter long? How could I forget? How????

I think it's like childbirth. The pain is agonizing – so bad that your brain forgets about it. Even though there's a fully formed human being in your house to remind you of those labour pains, mooching your food, peeing all over the bathroom floor and asking for money, the pain part is blessedly forgotten (because changing diapers is its own special kind of pain). So firewood is like childbirth. Yah, you know every spring you work like a demon but the rest of the year it's just a hazy memory.

But – gak – suddenly it's spring. Time to roll out the wood splitter and the chain saw and, by the sweat of the brow and the throbbing pain in the back, transform an entire truckload of logs into wood stove-sized chunks. For those lucky enough to never have endured this process, it's monotonous and painful. Wet wood is heavy. I can carry a big armload of dry firewood with no problem but freshly cut wood is three times as heavy as the dry stuff.

Enough with the whining. Yes, splitting wood isn't my favourite way of enjoying spring's first brilliant days but I must admit I get an immense amount of joy listening to less energetic people complaining about their heating bills in January. Our last load of logs cost $900. The wood will heat our house for three years. People with oil furnaces can spend $400 or more for one month and not even be warm.

Splitting wood isn't so bad. Not really. It got me outside all weekend. It got me some sunshine. It worked all my muscles and it worked up an appetite and it made me feel like I had accomplished something.

Besides, if I hadn't been out in the front yard splitting wood, I wouldn't have seen this pair of Canada geese (above) sleeping on an ice berg. The Muskoka River isn't exactly Ice Berg Alley (as parts of Newfoundland are known) but we do get little islands of ice floating downstream when spring arrives. They're not unusual but goose hitchhikers are. They hop aboard these icy boats and catch a snooze or enjoy a ride. We saw them do it a few days ago but were too slow with the camera.

The weekend wasn't all work. We did go to a wake on Saturday to pay our respects to a family member. They are wonderful people and we had a nice visit. We went to a movie Saturday night. (Saw John Carter. Fell asleep.) We had a couple of fabulous bike rides. (I LOVE MY BICYCLE.) And we even got our canoe out of hibernation and went for a paddle.

It was a good weekend. OK, so now I need to stock up on Deep Cold and Tylenol, but it was a good weekend nevertheless.

Beautiful, beautiful weather. The snow is almost entirely gone (you can see a few small patches on the opposite riverbank) and the river looks so inviting. It's way too cold for swimming (like, barely above freezing)
but it sure looks pretty.

The water is as high as I've ever seen it. Our dock is usually a couple of feet out of the water
– now all but one edge is completely submerged.

Our load of logs in front of the 'bunkie.'
Believe it or not, the pile used to be a lot bigger – we've already split and piled a quarter of it. 

Our progress as of lunchtime Sunday.
By Sunday night we had three full rows – about six cords.
Only 20 cords left to go! Woo-hoo!

26 comments:

  1. You have some glorious scenery to look at.

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  2. Holy Toledo! Heavens to Murgatroid! What's all that wood for?? Oh boy, sure beats hitting the gym and you'll end up a lot warmer, lol! Ah, but as you say Cathy, it got you outside and aren't those geese just gorgeous and the scenery is to do for - or to chop wood for.

    Happy Spring says me who's heading into Autumn, er, Fall.

    Denise

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    1. Oh to live Down Under where there's no need for silly things like woodstoves.... sigh...
      It's SO WEIRD how we have opposite seasons. I just can't get used to it!

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  3. Well, typo me - 'scenery is to die for'. My 'scuse. It's verra, verra late and I should be sleeping and counting sheep, not geese, q'wak q'wak!

    Yeah, I'm outta here...D

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    1. Now it's my time to sleep ... and you're probably just getting up! Q'wak!

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  4. Ahhhh ... freshly split firewood....owners away all day...we know where they live.

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    1. looks all very "deliverence" to me!
      "squeal like a pig boy!"
      xx

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    2. Deb, I'm watching you... don't forget we have a STEALTH CAM!
      John Gray! Deliverance? *pouting here* Now maybe if I learned how to play the banjo...

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  5. Looks so nice, I'm kind of missing Ontario weather right now

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    1. Thank you Baygirl! Ontario does have its moments. Not many, but a few!

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  6. It looks gorgeous there. How lucky you are to have real, actual spring. And wow, that's a lot of wood. I think I would ache for weeks if I had a hand in that. What a woman you are.

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    1. But you hate spring, Laurita!!!
      I do, too, in a lot of ways... but I really cherish those brief perfect two weeks of warm weather before the black flies invade. Then I officially hate spring.

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  7. wow, look at that! What an accomplishment and so worth it to see a shrinking heat bill. Looks like you live in an amazing place! I miss Connecticut where I grew up- with the four REAL seasons and quaint houses and agriculture. *sigh*

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    1. Connecticut is so beautiful. It really is. I haven't been there (LOL) but I've seen pictures and it's purty!

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  8. Yes, it leaves one sore but the benefits are so worth it. Look at how much you cranked your metabolism and the calories burned! And then you have heat fuel for the foreseeable future! And you get to see hitch- hiking geese and the Earth turning green. All wonderful.

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    1. Yay! Go metabolism! You're right, Austan - I felt unstoppable today. Exercise and fresh air really do perform miracles. And I say that as a true hater of exercise!

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  9. Splitting wood is a lotta work. My grandkids do a great job. I figure I'll get another ten years out of them, and then I'll be looking around. Your scenery is lovely to look around at, too.

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    1. Lucky you having woodsplitting grandkids! I can barely get my kids to help out! (Sending them to your place for lessons!)

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  10. Work is hard. I'm lucky I am a cat.

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    1. Yes, Daisy. And when I die I want to be reincarnated as a cat. Not just any cat, mind you. You. (I have a bad case of Wardrobe Envy.)

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  11. An award awaits you on my blog. No requirements,just pass it on.

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  12. Wow. What an energetic and rewarding weekend. In truly beautiful surroundings. Mega thanks for these photos.

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  13. Love the look of all that split wood. The pictures of the river reminds me of that crazy boat ride at Santa's Village.

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  14. Look how much you've accomplished! I'd probably have quit after my first splinter! The scenery looks picture perfect! Julie

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  15. I am astounded at all the wood you've split! I remember the first year we were up here, where a lot of folks heat with wood (though we don't, and you're right, it's expensive--so we're cold a lot!). There was this little house, the entire front porch of which was loaded to the rafters with split wood. I noticed the pile receded until finally, come spring, there was none left. THEN I noticed the following fall and spring the pattern was repeated. I think it took me two full years to realize this wasn't wood for some little ornamental fireplace, but they were heating their whole dang house. (Perhaps the memo should be Harriet the Lesser Spy?)

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