27 November 2009

Had an interesting Turkey Day yesterday. Preparation was a little discombobulated, as we didn't find out for sure what the arrangements were until Tuesday evening. Took a 9-lb. turkey breast out of the chest freezer then and it was still a little solid near the giblet bag ~ noon yesterday. The freezer does its job well. Otherwise, I made some pumpkin pie, stuffing, butternut squash and mashed potatoes. It was a quiet Thanksgiving for the first time in several years.
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Today was a farmer's holiday, with some wind gusts added to the rain. Got a bit of a head start on the Christmas decorations. Fixed the front door wreath and the attic door pull with some knit/fabric ornaments. Also brought down an old 3' plastic Santa. We'll see if that stays or goes back into storage.
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Lit the wood stove for the first time this past week, so it is warm and toasty in the basement. Bit of a late start with the stove this year. Not like we need to conserve the woodpile... it's stacked with about 5 1/2 cords; plus, six large kindling bags for starting fuel. Having the woodlot across town has saved a lot of money over the years --- it just requires some time and effort. Got a nice blend of red oak, white oak and maple in the stack this year, all of which burn very well. As my UConn botany professor, Dr. Lewis said, wood stoves are a relatively inexpensive and environmentally conscious choice for heating, in the absence of solar or geothermal systems that are still not in wide use due to cost. Wood burns clean CO2, doesn't create pollution/degradation to get it, is a renewable resource, and you can use the (cooled) ashes as compost fill.