Living off the grid has a lot of joys. It lessens our environmental footprint, we have a simple lifestyle, and it challenges us to do things differently. Colder months are coming, and our heat is 100% from wood. Our Kozi woodstove does a great job, but it needs lots of wood.Summer through fall we gather wood. Much of it floats up to our cabin begging to be captured. Our flatbed barge now allows us to gather drier wood from nearby beaches.
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| A visit to Sandy Beach. |
Our first choice is chunks already woodstove size. Our second is larger pieces that need splitting. Because we see lots of wood on its way down the lake, we can be choosy.
Our cedar log float is instrumental in our wood gathering and processing process. We can tow it to a location to pick up wood, store collected wood until cutting, and it even serves as a cutting platform that can be placed directly across from our woodshed float.
The key component of our wood storage system is a floating woodshed. It keeps weight off our cabin deck, yet the wood is handy for restocking our indoor wood shelf. To give us more space, our good friend John added a third bay. 
Our woodshed has one section for kindling and our log splitter. The other two sections hold about two cords each. Now all we need to do is saw and split the last lengths. Then we'll have enough wood to get us through the worst of winter, with an extra load waiting on the raft for future needs. |
| Our Kozi woodstove will keep us warm all winter. |
All that wood will keep us "Kozi" warm for months to come. How do you heat your home in winter? -- Margy
I looked at your two off the grid living things they are very informative. I love a good wood fire,but I am glad I don't have to chop wood any more. I do wish we had a pellet stove.
ReplyDeletePellet stoves are nice, but because we have to take everything up the lake by boat, using wood is best for us. - Margy
DeleteWhoa. That's quite an effort. Stunning river tho!
ReplyDeleteWe actually live on a lake which is much safer than a moving river. - Margy
DeleteWhoa - that is amazing! Do you get electricity from solar power?
ReplyDeleteWe use solar and a wind generator. Now that it is winter we augment our power needs with a gas powered generator. - Margy
DeleteHello, it is great to be off the grid. The stove does get warm, we have a wood stove in our basement. It can actually get too hot. I like the photos of the beach and float. The wood stove shot looks comfy.
ReplyDeleteHappy Monday, enjoy your new week!
Our woodstove gets too hot sometimes as well. For us it's easy to open the sliding glass door a crack for a few minutes to adjust the temperature. - Margy
DeleteWe heat our home with a wood cook stove, a free standing gas stove (propane) and an electric heat pump. Our shop is heated with two pellet stoves, one on each floor. We got a small electric splitter a few years ago and love it - did not know what a difference it would make for us! A time consuming chore has become fun and fast!
ReplyDeleteI agree about the splitter. Before I held an ax in place and Wayne provided muscle with a sledge hammer. My ears would ring even using ear defenders. - Margy
DeleteNothing like a real fire to make you feel warm and cosy. I live in London and have gas central heating. Interestingly there is a discussion happening now about banning wood burning stoves(which have become very popular) as they are adding to the pollution in the city. Not a problem where you are of course.
ReplyDeleteThere are regulations about the kind of woodstove that can be used even in our small town. Outside of town older model stoves can still be used. - Margy
DeleteInteresting post.
ReplyDeleteYou definitely work hard ~ bet you are healthy because you do ~ love a wood stove ~ wonderful photos and what a creative way of living ~ nice that nature helps bring wood to you ~
ReplyDeleteA ShutterBug Explores,
aka (A Creative Harbor)
Happy Thanksgiving coming in USA
We are healthy, but enjoy eating good food too much. We need to find a better balance. - Margy
DeleteYears ago when I lived further south in NSW I had a wood burning "pot belly" stove. I used to light it most winter mornings to take the early chill off the air. My little son - at that time!- used to come bouncing down the stairs in his pajamas to sit on a rug next to the stove and eat his porridge!
ReplyDeleteA pot belly stove gets you warm, but we love being able to see the flames. - Margy
DeleteWhile that woodstove does look inviting, I think I'll stick with my electric heat. (Though as I got my hydro bill this morning, I can see wood has one big advantage!)
ReplyDeleteWood is work, whether you get a cutting permit from WFP or get it like we do. We don't get a hydro bill but our propane for the stove and fridge costs us about $60 a month. - Margy
DeleteNo woodstove in the new house, but lots of memories of various woodsheds!
ReplyDeleteMemories are the best. - Margy
DeleteInteresting blog.
ReplyDeleteWe have similar lifestyle, except we live on a boat on the Tennessee River. We have winter here, the temps the past two nights were almost freezing, at 34 deg F. We may have snow a few days in the season, and the river may freeze, but it melts very fast.
We have 2 radiator heaters (one for each stateroom) and a small propane heater for the salon.
I came by to take a look at your blog and am now a follower. Love finding people who have similar interests. We use a "Big Buddy" propane heater for our boat for travel on the lake in winter. It makes the windows a bit foggy but the heat is very welcome. - Margy
DeleteThanks for following! Our propane heater is that Mr Heater Portable Buddy. We got it last year and love it! It heats up the space very quickly.
DeleteVery cozy! Our gas fireplace is just not the same
ReplyDeleteWe have a gas fireplace in our condo in Bellingham. Since the gas is part of our condo fee we use it to heat when we are there. It still gives us a nice flame to watch. - Margy
DeleteA fire is always cozy
ReplyDeleteI do miss it in the summer months. - Margy
DeleteThis reminds me so much of my childhood, when we had a coal and wood stove, and my teen years, when all we had was a potbellied stove on which my mother could even bake cakes. Lots of good memories. Thanks, Margy!
ReplyDeleteWarm things and good food always seem to bring good memories. - Margy
DeleteWell we did downsize when we moved to Greece and are living much as we did as kids, hanging clothes to dry, washing dishes in the kitchen sink and we do burn wood in the fireplace but usually to add to the warmth of the house which is kept warm by a oil burning central furnace that heats by use of radiators. (We did have a wood stove to cook on when I was a kid, and then we got that new fangled electric range!! Wow.
ReplyDeleteI came over to take a look at your blog. You have chosen an interesting place to live. It sounds like you travel back and forth to the States like we do. I sure hate those new fangled electric ranges. For cooking at the cabin I have propane and love it. Our city condo has electric and I hate it. - Margy
DeleteWhen I was small, I used to collect rubber tree wood for cooking purposes. We do not need to heat up our home because we don't have winter here. I like the view in the 2nd picture and your woodshed is so neat.
ReplyDeleteI've never lived anywhere that didn't get at least cool in the winter. - Margy
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