A dead paper birch west of the house was cut down today. Prone to rapid rotting due to the amount of water in the trunk, we'll get excellent burning out of the tree after processing and about two years os seasoning. Crown pieces were still solid, so these will also eventually go into the stove.
This project is still a work in progress, with a good chunk of the tree still needing to be split. A few more images from the morning's action:
Working down the hill for three hours this morning led to a wonderful harvest. The potatoes are especially beautiful on this very sunny and pleasant day.
At 4:32 p.m. today, with inside temp at 66 and overnight low of 44 expected, a match was struck to light the first fire of the season. Decorative birch comes in over the spring to make for a lovely arrangement by the stove. This is the first wood to burn, along with the pictured kindling and shards.
The firebox was quickly ready for the match.
Twelve minutes after the initial flame, extra wood increased the stack temp to 580 degrees.
