As usual, Maria won her long-standing annual argument with me about wood stacking this morning, braving hot and sticky wet weather to finish the job before the second wave of soaking storms is expected to hit tonight and through the weekend.

I always try to hire somebody to help, but she always declines for 14 straight years. My Willa Cather Woman loves to work. I give up.

It’s a big deal for the Queen of Obligation to put off working on her art for several hours in the morning, prime creative time. She very rarely does it. But we have been battered by soaking rains all week, and more are coming over the weekend. The wood needs to be in the shed to dry.

It took her about an hour and a half to finish the stacking, which she began before the storms—the last log, in the photo above, what she started with this morning, below.

She came in, showered, and worked hard in her studio. I’m counting my blessings instead. Maria says she loved every minute of it, and I can’t argue with that.

I’m taking her out to dinner tonight, the restaurant to be decided. I threw some logs, but I exceeded my time outside in this heat and humidity. My camera is not affected, as I pointed out.

Maria had a fascinated audience watching her every move. Fate, Zinnia, and Bud had the best seat in the house, and they could not have been more excited if they had pounds of raw meat on the ground in front of them.

The new delivery of wood is next week, with two more cords. I asked Maria if she wanted me to make calls and get help. She just laughed.