Frost and firewood—Success!

Not quite in time for the first frost, I FINALLY had some firewood delivered last night. After everyone else bailed on me, I called Craig's List Firewood Person #5 last weekend only to find they could not deliver until this past Saturday. Then when I called Saturday morning they said not until Monday. But then...they surprised me with a delivery last night, just as it was getting dark.

We had lows in the 20°s the past 2 nights. Even though we primarily heat with propane, it sure is nice to have the woodstove going again!

I just purchased an Ecofan to help move that warm air around a bit more. It is 76° in the living room with the woodstove going right now, 69° in the kitchen (next room over), and 65° upstairs. With the open floorplan we have down here, and the woodstove right at the bottom of the stairs, I thought the woodstove would heat the whole house, but I guess the house is too well insulated inside? Sometimes when the stove is really running hot, it gets up to 85° in the living room while it is still cool in the rest of the house.

The fan works just from the heat of the stove, and, from what I have read, it is completely silent.

Finally, wishing you all a happy Fall! Aside from these last 2 cold nights, it has been a really beautiful Fall up here this year. Lots of good leaf color, and a ton of pumpkins (well, not quite a ton). I roasted one of the flat ones, a Long Island Cheese Pumpkin (from Johnny's seed catalog) and made some pumpkin soup last week. This variety of pumpkin is sweeter than the Connecticut Field Pumpkins (seeds from The Farmer's Museum) but both are heritage varieties.

I want to try to make some pumpkin butter, but have been so busy smashing apples for apple butter, and before that, tomatoes for tomato sauce, that I have not had the time to do the pumpkins. Plus, they still look so nice on the porch and scattered around the yard.