For me, winter begins in May. I start ordered the wood for the wood stoves, and I start ordering hay for the donkeys and the sheep. I want all this to be in the woodshed and in the barn by August, I’ll never be caught short again, as I was a few years ago.

Climate change has made the reaping of hay unpredictable and good dry wood is getting expensive and harder to find. Our first cord – six more are coming – came yesterday.

Bud was indignant, he wasn’t consulted, and has been barking at the wood all day, insisting that it go away. Bud has met his match. He sees himself as the King of Bedlam Farm and does not like being ignored or bypassed.

I’m not impressed by the pellet stoves I’ve seen. Pellet storage is a headache, the stoves must be cleaned weekly, and the heat doesn’t spread as far or evenly as wood stoves.

Maria wants to stack all the firewood herself, as usual. When she gets a cord in the shed, I call Greg  Burch and ask him to bring another one. Our system works well for us.

The 60 square bales we ordered for next winter are coming any day.