I don’t envy Ed Bullock, our logger. He can’t log much in the rain, and his various power machines keep breaking down. His helper quit the other day, and he’s working alone.

And it’s either hot or pouring. The oil container in his truck started smoldering yesterday. And he looked awful tired. It costs a fortune to maintain his equipment. Then there are the bugs and mud.

I used to romanticize the idea of the logger, but I wouldn’t last a week out there in a summer like this. I like and respect Ed, he is honest and open and hard working. The wood he is delivering is fine.

I told him that Maria would be stacking this wood also, and he smiled, shaking his head.

I feel the same way, I said, but she loves doing it, and I am lucky to have a wife and partner like that. We think this delivery might fill the shed; we might only need one more cord for the winter. Ed says he can deliver whatever we want. Two lines cost $430. We are lucky to have Ed.

He is on my good list of men in big trucks to depend on. Maria says she’ll start stacking this weekend, rain permitting. We are supposed to get a lot of rain tonight and tomorrow.