TEARING THROUGH PALLETS

Woke up this morning to a weird flurry of mid March snow. Just moved into a new house with a wood burning stove. Finally. So, now in this weird time of year where some days it feels like winter is done and we can open the doors and windows for the warm late winter sun to come in, and other days it is a blizzard, and other days it is both, now I have no wood pile.

Yesterday I went over to the old house and got the driest of the pallets in preparation for the next remaining months of cold nights. Cut up a few as night fell but didn't want to annoy the new neighborhood.

Today as the snow melted in the late afternoon I tore through a bunch of pallets with my hand me down Black & Decker skilsaw, pretty recklessly. Chunks were flying. After sawing the pallets into thirds I'd use a regular hammer to dislodge the pieces from the cross beams, hitting from behind and firing the pieces directly into the stacked woodpile. At the end I had a beautiful pile of what most people would consider prime kindling, although I'll be using it as my only firewood. It burns really fast and hot. Kind of stupid and wasteful, I know. I'll be going out to get some real firewood soon.

But today in the morning sun as the surprise blizzard burned off we sat in the warm rays next to the blazing pallet wood fire. It was blissful. Hours passed.

(posted by PW, Anacortes)