TALES OF WINTER

When we built our house, we decided our primary heat source would be the woodburning stove in the basement since we live on the edge of a large woods. Free wood for the picking. Good choice.
When Paul was in high school, one of the teachers was putting in a new furnace and offered their coal supply to anyone who would haul it away.. we bit. So we had a nice big pile of coal to burn - and yes, our stove was built to withstand the coal heat.
At night when it was miserably cold, we'd build a fire using a solid piece or two of oak, then put in a few pieces of coal to keep the fire hot and burning all night. One night we were rudely awakened by the smoke alarm screaming, and the house rapidly filling with smoke. Someone, who will remain nameless, put the coal on the top of the wood + the coal dust left in the small bucket. After we went to sleep, it burned and crusted over trapping gases beneath the coal layer. This caused a huge explosion that blew the door of the stove open and the clean out door on the chimney. Smoke was everywhere.
We were very fortunate to NOT have a chimney fire.. but it could have happened very easily.

In the fall deer are everywhere and we seem to see more of the ones who try to cross the road laying beside it. I see so many on my way home at night.
They are always around the house here too.. last night I saw the doe and her twin fawns again at the crabapple trees.
We have always had plentious deer around the house.
One very cold winter night, we needed firewood brought in through the basement door. Paul was always willing to help and that night he went up the stairs and opened the Bilco door and nearly got run over by a herd of deer standing by the door. We don't know who was more shocked at that moment.

I remember a time when we were cutting down dead trees.. it was in the winter.. and Paul was helping then too. The guys pulled over a huge dead tree and out jumped the biggest raccoon we'd ever seen. Paul chased it with a 2x4.. I don't know if he caught up with it.. they move pretty fast even on snow and ice.

More tales of winter later..... and perhaps we'll talk about Wendy's adventure at the doctor's house on a tobaggan..??