I almost forgot this one until today when I was moving my fire wood supply from its summer drying place to its winter ready to use place. We burn about 1 cord of wood per year. This year, it is mostly a Pear tree, which I cut down last spring, and some left over Black Locust. Both are good burning woods, very little popping. The Pear is easy to get started, the Black Locust is very dense and burns very hot, so it is great for those really cold January nights, when the thermometer nips down below zero. There is nothing like sitting in front of a nice warm fire, talking or playing a game. Sometimes I just like to sit in the dark and watch it for a while.
Splitting and stacking wood is good physical labor. The wood should be seasoned, or dried, for at least 4 to 5 months before it is used. The moisture content should be about 20 percent or so for it to burn properly in a woodstove.
Generally, I feel good after hauling it all around and getting it ready to go. After I am done stacking it, I place a tarp over the top of it, leaving the side exposed to the wind, which helps keep it dry.
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