Getting ready for the north wind

These September days have been lovely. Some of them have been VERY cold, which is a nice reminder of the immense cold that is coming only too soon. Jason has been busy for months, going out into the bush on his days off and cutting up dead hardwood trees, loading the pieces into the truck that our kind neighbour loaned us for the summer and then hand-splitting the logs back at the house. They are seasoning in various piles around the yard..A lot of sights around our home and land bring me immeasurable amounts of joy; lambs leaping in the meadow, happy chickens in a plethora of colours and plumage patterns running freely as far as the eye can see, wildflowers, gardens bursting with vegetables and herbs, my little boys rolling in the grass and playing wildly under the apple trees..but the one thing I love to see more than any other is a substantial pile of cut logs, ready for the fire. 

Canadian winters can be very cold and very long, and I am lucky to have such a good man as Jason who will work so steadfastly to amass this firewood for our family's warmth. I admit that a significant part of me dreads winter now that we live in this old drafty house. It is a challenge to be warm the whole winter long and my feet often ache, but keeping true to our dedication to a simple and  natural lifestyle, we use our own hand-cut wood to heat our home. 

This year I have started knitting some cozy slippers to bundle my feet in and I've been scouring thrift shops for real wool clothing for the lot of us. I have put down rugs in rooms I normally wouldn't (kitchen) and I plan on hanging some heavy curtains in a few or our doorways to keep the warmth contained in our main living space. Next on the list, hay and straw for the animals so they too can be cozy and belly-full when the north wind comes to call.