Burning beech

American beech, a cousin of oaks, makes for wonderful burning and lots of heat.  Here's a picture of this morning's fire with a big beech piece roaring.

Lots of heat will be necessary over the next few days.  We're in a typical pattern for the 2nd half of January:  snow and cold.  Lows projected to be below zero for a few days.  But with burning beech, it's impossible to lament winter.

Pumpernickel Pumpkin Pancakes

Fuel prior to another round of snow removal:  Pumpernickel Pumpkin Pancakes.  The bacon came from a neighbor's pig, the berries from our forest, the syrup from our town, and the pumpkin and pumpernickel from Vermont.

1st walk on 2nd day

Ten inches of snow fell around New Year's.  The storm started on the 30th, with off and on snow (and even a little rain).  The first walk of 2020 had to occur on the 2nd day due to the storm and the necessary snow moving work.

The property's biggest red oak has probably seen 200 New Years.

The largest paper birch on Hardwood Hermitage is about 600 feet east of the oak. The base of the huge tree can be seen on the eastern side of the Jut, with the spring in the background.

Far older than any tree, the numerous gigantic rocks here take the snow in stride, just like the big old trees.

Cookies and birches

Two great Christmas traditions in Northern New Hampshire:  Decorated cookies and shining young birch groves

Last sunrise of autumn

The sun rose through the eastern line of trees and over the Kilkenny range this morning.  Tomorrow morning's sunrise will be in winter.  This panoramic shows the sun at its most southerly in our morning sky.  The timeless and incessant rotation of the earth starts bringing our favorite yellow orb back to the north for the next six months.  Then, in the third week of June next year, we'll have almost 8 hours more daylight compared to today.  The sun will be rising that day much further to the left in this photo, and three hours earlier!

Great suppah

The menu for tonight's suppah included two homemade items:  venison beer chili (the main ingredient made possible by a hunting neighbor) and cocoa pumpernickel bread.

Holiday baking

The second thaw of the season is happening this weekend.  Lots of rain and wind today, with temps not getting below freezing again until later tomorrow.  It's a good day for some baking! Pictured below are chocolate fudge, peanut butter fudge, and candied fruit peel.