Hauling Firewood Today

In less than two weeks, I've cut and split more firewood than what I've burned all winter so far. I just haven't been able to haul any up to the woodpile due to the snow. There's still no less snow (actually there's more than there was a week ago) but with the freezing rain that we got and the colder temperatures, my wheel tracks are packed and hard. I was able to haul wood up to the pile now.

As you can see from this picture, there is no less snow in the woods.


The snow is hard enough now that I stay on top even fully loaded. My wheel tracks are packed on the main trail.


The third load from this pile, and there's a lot more piles waiting to be hauled up.


I'm not exactly sure why this works. It took me a year or two to discover this trick. When I have the straps over my load, sometimes they start to get loose and then the wood slides out from under them. Especially when I'm in a hurry! I started putting this little bungee cord between the straps. I have never had that problem in the years since. I don't know, but I think it works because as the straps loosen, the bungee pulls them towards the center of the load. Then the wood tries to fall towards the center, which keeps it on the trailer????


Today's daytime Moon and one of today's airplane photos.


And something new I learned today! Imagine that! I saw a flock of little birds that I couldn't recognize. They weren't any of the regular little reddish birds that I know. I had never seen them before. I snapped this picture quickly, and it's not a very good picture, but it was good enough that I could identify it in my bird book. A White-winged Crossbill! Never heard of it. The range map in the book says they winter here, but in the years of feeding birds and practically living in the woods, it's the first time I encountered them.


- Quads, hailing from Grand Marsh Observatory atop Elk Castle Hill