Lowered thermostat this morning Was on 22c.....

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Finally lit the woodburner tonight. Definitely one of the latest dates.

The question now is when will I let it go out. Some of of the analogue forecasts point to a back-loaded winter with cold in Feb/March. At least after this autumn I've got enough wood cut and stored to see me through to April or May if necessary.

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Oh, how I wish I had a wood burning stove.  Our daughter has one and it's so cosy, it also saves her a lot on her central heating bills.  I actually enjoy doing my rounds of local wood yards collecting offcuts for her to burn.

Today when I asked what she'd like for Christmas, she couldn't think of anything she wanted, then said she'd like me to pay for her next load of logs.  She's always been practical. 

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I do love woodburners, and the "dry" heat they generate is almost essential for the wellbeing of old houses, but I think I'd be less fond of them If I had to pay for the fuel.

The key for me is to own a dog which needs walking twice a day, so there's an excuse to roam the countryside hoovering up everything from fallen twigs to fallen trees. Living close to a river also helps, owing to the bounty left behind by receded floodwaters. I still have some of the bonanza from the winter 2013-14 floods waiting to be burnt.

To be honest, I think I enjoy searching for, collecting, sawing, splitting and storing the logs more than I do actually burning them.

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