Its interesting the things that you learn as you go... even about things that you thought you pretty well had mastered.  I have been friendly with a chainsaw for several years now.  When I first used one,  I only knew 2 things... they were very useful, and they were very dangerous. If you have never used a chainsaw, and are considering using one, just remember these few rules:

1. Your stance is important.  You should be well grounded, and balanced when you engage the chain for cutting.  An awkward stance can fatigue you, but an unbalanced stance has the obvious problem of losing control of your footing, leading to a fall.
2. Chainsaws kick back!  This can be deadly.  Something that chainsaws have in common with electricity is that they must be respected.  failure to do so will result in injury or death.  When I am cutting, I believe that the saw will kick back at any moment... and I always think about what my reaction will be if that happens.
3. Be mindful of what is going to happen to what you are cutting.  Is that limb going to fall on a foot, friend, son or daughter?  Will that tree end up on your truck, or a house? 

So, as I learn about properly cutting wood... I have also become aware of the various wood types, and when they are best burned.  So far, I have learned that yellow locust is a good and abundant hard wood for my area, which is good for my stove.  And as the seasons change, I will learn of the other typs of wood that are appropriate for this area and season.  I will write about that as it unfolds, but for now, its hard wood, seasoned dry, so that it burns clean, and slow, for long lasting heat.  In the early spring, as mornings are cold, a hotter and faster burning wood is more appropriate, to release a good bit of hear in a short time... to heat a space while it is still cold... but dissapate as the day warms.  Prior to this last month, I never knew this.

Burning wood in a wood stove is also more than simply tossing in a starter log and some wood and hoping for the best.  A properly burning wood stove needs to be burning with in a specific tempreature range to get maxamum heat and prevent creosote (soot build up), while not getting so hot as to damage the stove itself.  Believe it or not, it is actually a fine line... well, if you call a range of between 300 to 550 degrees a fine line.

So, in conclusion, there is much to learn.  Country living is a process, a series of problems that ultimately leads to a learned solution, all out of necessity.  As much as I would like to be thinking about chicken, building the coup, goats, ect... right now, as the winter is in full effect, I have no choice but to focus on the problem at hand... heat.  Being that we moved here in December, and there is no store of wood readily available to burn, my problem is heat.  So, with this problem, comes the solution, of wood. :)

Till next time!