Feeling Hot, Hot , Hot

Or not, depending on the fuel you're using to heat your home. We recently moved into an apartment that has a wood burning fireplace. This is the first real fireplace we've had. Our first home had a gas fireplace which we used maybe once or twice. It was one of those see through things and it was enclosed on three sides by glass, it looked like an aquarium. The problem was the glass got ridiculously hot and it was burning non renewable fossil fuel. I suppose had we stayed in that house I might have eventually put in a wood stove. We didn't stay, I understand the new owners really liked the fireplace, to each his own I suppose.

Anyway back to burning wood. I recently split a cord of wood with a friend of mine, money and space prevented me from purchasing a full cord. It was all aspen which technically is classified as a hardwood, however it burns much like pine. Fast and moderately smoky. Had I known this before hand I probably would have purchased a half cord of oak or maple and supplemented it with a half or quarter cord of the aspen. Live and learn.

The other thing that I noticed is that a great deal of the heat being generated was going up the chimney. Alas while a fireplace is very romantic, they are notoriously inefficient. If I thought I could get away with it I'd get a wood stove, not sure the apartment folks would dig that.

So having said all that, the wood pile is getting low and we'll be needing to resupply soon, lesson learned, call the cat selling hardwood cords.

Where Has The Time Gone?

Wow 2 jobs, a move, a family member goes home and so much time since anything was written here. The dream is still alive though, it's just gotten sidetracked. With that in mind I will be devoting more time to this site and hopefully sooner rather than later it will be coming to you from a small cabin/cottage in the Maine woods.

The idea here is to find a way to work without having to actually go to work. I will be exploring ways to put together enough money to take care of those things that need taking care of while still socking away the funds to make the purchase which will complete the first part of a seemingly life long dream.