At one point during my dad’s long illness, he was hospitalized for 181 days. I had paused my career to take care of him, so I spent most days that winter at home. It was also, coincidentally, the coldest winter I had ever experienced. There was a 14 day stretch of daytime temps below freezing, and our furnace couldn’t keep the house above 50 degrees. I called a professional because I thought it was broken – thankfully, he declined to charge me after telling me that it’s actually just really cold out and the furnace was doing its best.
So I relied on the wood stove insert to stay warm. My dad had always wanted a wood stove, but my mom had vetoed it; after she died, his first act of widowhood was to get one installed. At first I found it ridiculous, but since he was the kind of guy who refused to put the thermostat above 62, I quickly learned to love it – and love turned to adoration the winter he was in the hospital.
By then, our wood supply was limited – I was handy with an axe, but I didn’t know how to use the chainsaw to get more rounds. I rationed it out for the evenings, sleeping on the living room floor. It was a terrible time by all accounts – my dad was in precarious condition and my days were spent driving two hours to visit him. Despite this, I genuinely looked forward to each evening in front of the wood stove.
When I sold my childhood home in 2018, I said goodbye the wood stove insert and vowed to get another one as soon as possible. “As soon as possible” turned out to be this week.
Energy Independence
My new Blaze King Ashford 20.2 wood stove was installed on Saturday, in addition to an insulated chimney liner and a custom chimney cap. I am overjoyed by this purchase, and so far it has really impressed me. It is easy to use and warms the space wonderfully. I do not have words to describe how it feels to sit in front of the wood stove after all this time – bittersweet, to say the least.
And with this project finally completed, I have reached energy independence – at least when it comes to heating and cooling. The mini splits are set at 62 degrees, the solar panels are generating [some of*] the electricity to run the mini splits, and the wood stove keeps things comfortable.
*Since it is winter and the daylight hours are limited, I am still using more energy than the solar panels are producing. In the summer, they will produce more than I use and the excess will be banked for the future. So while I’m not truly energy independent yet, all of the pieces of the puzzle are in place.
Resource Acquisition & Preparedness
I purchased Miu freezer cubes from Costco on a whim and they have been incredibly useful. They are silicone trays that freeze foods in various sized cubes, which can then be transferred to a bag for easy freezer storage. So far, I’ve frozen beans, soup, and puréed pumpkin.
These will be so useful in both reducing food waste and preserving the garden harvest, so much so that I will probably go back for another set. I have a long history of making beans from scratch and then failing to use them before they go bad – now I can freeze the excess. The pumpkin had been part of my autumn decor, but now I can use it at my leisure for baking.
Now that my freezer is filling up, it is becoming abundantly clear that I need to figure out an organization system for my chest freezer.
Moving Forward
I am really looking forward to a few days off for Thanksgiving break. There is so much to do before winter really sets in. In addition to the never-ending pursuit of firewood, I’ve had pallets piled against the barn for months that are destined to form a compost bin.
Stay warm,
KC