Splitting cordwood

The age old art of maintaining a warm temperature during the cold winter days begins with the tree. It takes years for the hardwood tree to become ready for harvest. The difficult job of bringing the wood to your stove is many faceted and laborious. Requiring heavy equipment and personal brute strength. People that do this job tend to love the outdoors and being their own boss.

Their is nothing like feeling the crack of the wood split as it is perfectly hit with sharp end of the maul. When it is hit just right it can be felt in the shoulders resonating down to the axe handle. The cold steel seems to smoothly rip through the sinewy layers of oak. It offers little resistance unless it has knots or irregular shapes. It is the sturdy yellow birch does not easily yield to maul and muscle.

It is the simple act of doing the work itself that fulfills the man & comforts the soul.