Living without the MAN on my back

You know what burns my ass, other than a three foot flame, being dependent on companies and government that have too much control over my decisions. Nothing would make me happier than to sail away or move to the mountains and drop off their radar so I don't have to have any contact with them. Not being able to do that at this time of my life, I will have to settle for trying to eliminate them one by one. Last year we bought an old multi fuel wood boiler that can run on oil if needed to heat our home. We are able to heat our house and our hot water with wood from our property and each season I need to cut, split and stack about 8 cords of wood. It's a good workout and will help me stay fit into old age since I don't really exercise. I love the giant wood boiler in our basement. It's a 30 year old Tarm 50, now called BioHeatUSA and the house has never been warmer. Both Suzanne and I enjoy going down stairs into the basement opening up the boiler door, seeing that orange glow of embers and throwing a few more logs on. Its a great feeling when everyone else is saying "no, not temperatures in the thirties tonight" and we say "I can't what for it to get cold so we can fire up the old Tarm". Our water is from our well, our heat is from our own trees and hard work, I can't wait to get solar panels and drop off the electric grid and say Good Bye to our electric company PECO. Go ahead raise your rates, I will choose not to use you, because I will make sure I have a choice!!!!! Two down and one to go!! The photo is of Sydney and I getting ready to load some wood into the basement. Since it was good and dry we made a game of it and tried to stack the wood as high as we could in the back of the truck. We're getting pretty good at it as you can see. Our dog Shadow, in the left of the photo, likes to run off with pieces that fall off the truck. I find them all over the yard with the lawn mower. Damn dog!!!!!

It Used to be a smokehouse now it is a better view

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Suzanne and I have been talking for years about taking down the old smokehouse that sits just out our front door. It has really no purpose for us other than to hide our trash cans and most of all it blocks our view out the big bay window that looks out into the yard and the grape vines when we are in the kitchen. So the other day Suzanne said I really wish that smokehouse was gone and I told that it would be gone at the end of the weekend!!!! So with sledge hammer in hand and a variety of other implements of destruction I went at that smokehouse like a man possessed!!!! By Sunday all that was left was the stone hearth that we wanted to keep and have re pointed. It was a nice place to burn some of the scrap that couldn't be recycled. Now the view is great out our kitchen window and my whole body hurts like hell. Bring on the Advil and a glass of wine!!  Moral of the story is stop talking and start working. You could eat an entire elephant if you wanted to, you just have to start with the first bite.

Ben's Birthday Present from his wife Suzanne

Its not only women that love expensive, hand made, one a kind gifts, imported from Sweden for their birthday. Men love these things also. My wife, who loves me, bought me such a gift. It is a Gransfors Bruks imported from Sweden. Made by the master forger Ulrick Nilsson himself. This hand forged double-bit axe was made by Gransfors Bruks of Sweden and they have been making them since 1902. They have a waiting list to get their axes hence the arrival of mine just after my birthday. Why would one want such a wonderful tool/peace of art you might ask?? Well, I like things simple and when felling a tree for firewood to heat our house I like to get a workout. They say fire wood warms you twice, once when you cut it and once when you burn it. I say it warms you five times, when you cut it, when you split it, when you stack it, when you move it into the house and when you burn it. Not many things last a life time or two or three, but this axe will and I love it. Thank you for a wonderful birthday present Suzanne, Kass, Sydney, Erin and Jessica.

Everyone loves a bonfire

It was a Friday night and the girls were all happy and excited it was the weekend and what were we going to do???!!!!! Suzanne and I were really tired from the week and ready to just sit and relax. So I combined the two thoughts gathered up some old wood and we decided to have and bonfire and a glass of wine in the backyard. Everyone loves a fire. The kids were happy they got to roast marsh mellows and Suzanne and I were happy, we got to sit around the fire and relax. It was a great impromptu night!!

What your work gloves say about you

I was looking at my gloves the other day and thought "HHHHmmm" they say a lot. Like a persons clothing or their other belongings, things that we own say something about who we are. I think these gloves say I'm thrifty or cheap if you like, or maybe they say I hate to shop!!!