Our Roof Is Full

of wood.  For the last ten months I have been picking up sticks and such along the path to use as kindling in our multifuel stove.  Why buy it if you can collect it and clean up the paths at the same time is my philosophy.

Mike eventually started picking up the kindling size with me.  However, any time I saw something bigger that could be cut into smallish "logs" for our stove, and there were LOTS of them last winter and this spring due to the high winds, Mike was not hot on the idea of taking advantage of them.

But, I kept trying (nagging) and finally he has started to see my logic. :-) The wood is great for those small quick fires you need this time of year to take the chill off or when everything just seem damp. 

So, we have been "harvesting" larger branches and Mike has been cutting them up into appropriate sized pieces and making a log pile on the roof.  All nice and neat and accessible.

Well, then there was yesterday.  One of the boaters told Mike about a limb from an ash tree that was there just waiting to be re-homed.  So, with saw in hand off went Mike to see what he could glean.  Once he had cut several longer limbs off the bigger section he came back to enlist some help in dragging them home.

I, of course, was drafted.  But, he also enlisted the help of two young gentlemen and their dad from the boat parked ahead of us.  So back we all went to get our limbs and bring them to the boat.

Dad, using the excuse of working up an appetite, suggested that he and the boys help Mike harvest some more before dark.  And, off they went.

The result, a roof full of long limbs waiting to be cut and stacked.  I really don't think we could get much more up there right now.  Truly.

As a thank you for their help I baked a simple fruit cake for the mom and dad and some extra chocolaty brownies for the boys.  Little enough for all they did.

Unfortunately, that wonderful family has left now and are heading home to start the new school year.  Hopefully we run across each other again in our travels.