If a tree falls ...

... butt, split and burn.

I've been ever so lucky in the firewood department over the past twelve years.

When I bought The Kipper I had a man come round and build me a half cord wood shed. It's a lovely little airy thing. He painted it rather more sky blue than I would've liked, but never mind. Keeps the wood dry.

I've never had to actually buy a half cord of firewood. No! Between my Sis and I we've always had a tree fall at just the right moment!

The first to go down was my massive eucalyptus. Burned like coal, it did. And put off a most engaging aroma. Next was her 70 year old apple tree. That was a bit of a sad time as it had kept her, me and three of her neighbours in apples all winter for years. But it did a couple of years of righteous fires in The Kipper, too.

Just when I was about to run out of apple tree, didn't her cherry tree come down?! It did.

So, here's the twiggy bits of cherry filling up the half cord shed. There's more of them to come. AND I've had to lay two pallets to stack the splits!

Although I've never paid for a cord of splits to be delivered I expect I've paid nearly as much for cowboys with chainsaws and splitters to come round and sort out our fallen trees.

Still, at least I know for sure I'm not buying stolen cords of clearcut from inbreds.