Friday, January 9, 2015

Keeping it warm...and romantic

One aspect to living in a place originally constructed in the 16th century is that it was designed to be heated by wood.  While a gas-fired steam-heat system has been retrofitted, natural gas has always been expensive because Italy has no resources of its own.  Then there was Libya.  Then there was the Ukraine.  So gas is VERY expensive here and as the weather turned cold, we have relied on a wood-burning stove as our primary source of heat.  We were starting to run low, so yesterday we took our second delivery of 20 quintales (2000kg or a metric ton) of cut and split wood. Here is how it all came down:

 Gianfranco, our wood supplier, arrives in his hi-tech truck, backs into our driveway, and squeezes through the narrow point that originally accommodated horse-drawn carts. 

Gianfranco lines up the truck to dump the wood on the waiting tarp.
A perfect drop!
Gianfranco, a master of his craft
Now it is time to stack.  Gary helped our neighbor Michael yesterday with his load of wood, so Michael pitches in today.


Half-way done.  The change in the shade shows how long we have been at it.
Only a few logs left...
all done!
small pieces go in the kindling basket




time to get cozy by a warm fire
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3 comments:

  1. AnonymousJanuary 9, 2015 at 12:17 PM

    Wow, now that's a lot of work, ma che bella fuoco. Bert

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  2. Tom WJanuary 9, 2015 at 2:38 PM

    As you know, here in SoCal, natural gas is (relatively) cheap, and delivered split wood is expensive. But while I've had a supply of firewood for years (collected from nearby trees and pruning), I've been hesitant to use my fairly efficient wood burning stove the last few years. Seemed too polluting, especially when the brisk, evening air is thick from smoke and fumes of neighbors using their fireplaces.

    So, thanks for the reminder that a warm, cozy fire is worthwhile (and often necessary) in the overall scheme of life...(along with the physical benefit of hauling and stacking)! :-)

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    Replies
    1. Gary and CarmenJanuary 10, 2015 at 1:39 AM

      Thanks Tom. We admit that we have glossed over some negatives--burning wood is messy and smoky, and we would not want to rely on it for the rest of our lives. For now, it is part of the experience. And the exercise was great!

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