On my quest to keep the frost from the tips of our snoots and our toes toasty in the coming months. I have been traversing the country side acquiring large amounts of fire wood for our ancient wood stove in the mud room. The oil furnace will be used sparingly as oil is almost 3 bucks a gallon.(gasp) I have located a great source for large quantities of dry hardwood off of ....guess where...my favorite.....CRAIGSLIST! I swear one could rule the world with properly used craigslist listings. I have thus far picked up and stacked three pick up loads of walnut. I have three more loads to go, two being oak. I have no idea how much we need but i think 1/3 of garage full is a good start! At $60 a load, cut and debarked, I think its a steal. Plus I get to take a lovely drive through the fall country side as a fabulous, free perk. Looking at all the pumpkins and mums and scarecrows adorning the various yards put me in the mind to decorate.....yes! to decorate for fall/Halloween/Thanksgiving. I used to back in MD but fell out of the habit in CA. So the search was on for suitable decorative squash. After three roadside stops with bright orange punkins running about 12 bucks a piece, I began to remember why I stopped decorating. Then I past a truck load of gorgeous frosty colored pumpkins being unloaded at a local convenience store. Only slightly squealing to a stop after a questionable "U-y", I climbed out of my pick up into a jovial group of pumpkin wranglers. I picked out a few and tried to pay but the good will was flowing and each of them gifted me a beautiful globe. WOW, I was floored. Those boys will get a pan full of brownies and a loaf of my bread next week when I head out for more wood. Just another reason to love my new home here in upstate NC.
