Michigan Thread - all are welcome!

[aart]

I only have the doors open to start the fire. Once I have it going it is closed up.

Asked because you mentioned missing seeing the flames and were wondering if it would run OK with open doors.

 

[RaZ]

Asked because you mentioned missing seeing the flames and were wondering if it would run OK with open doors.

I do miss the blazing fire. My main goal is heating the house so that I'm not so reliant on expensive propane. I'm still working out the details. Small changes here & there so I can find the most efficient scenario.

 

[snowflake]

I split a number of cut logs today. Worked out to be a face cord of red oak for the stove. Nice and seasoned and ready to burn. I took a little jaunt in the woods and spied several downed trees read to be harvested. Just have to drag the wood back home to cut. A few will have to be cut where they lay. (Have chain saw, will travel) lol.

A couple of photos of the main heat source for my home:

very nice, wood stove or fireplace is messy but oh so nice. we have a very good insert in our fireplace. It heats the whole upstairs very nicely. Furnace doesn't go on till night when DH comes to bed. Some times wish we had done an outdoor furnace, but it is nice to not have to go outside to feed the stove and I love the look of the fire

 

[1muttsfan]

Air temp here at the house is zero, with a sharp east wind on top of that - coop stays closed up today.

 

[Sally PB]

20 now, and a pretty good breeze, so I'm sure the windchill is single digits.

It's like the chickens have gotten a bit used to the temps now. They're out in the run most of the day. A week ago, they came out for water, is all, I think.

I think one of the hens dropped an egg from the roost early this morning. It was a softshell, but it hadn't frozen. I think it was the one who laid for a while, then stopped, as it was under "her" spot on the roost, and about the right size/color.

I was hoping today would be my very first 4 egg day, but maybe not. It'll be soon though.

Now, if my Orpington would get her little pullet act together and start laying...!

 

[Swiss]

I got to confirm that we do have ruffed grouse on our property, which is pretty cool! I hope I get to see her with some babies in a few months!

 

[RaZ]

I've never seen a grouse in the wild. That is so cool.
I've been working at restoring the prairie grasses so I can attract pheasants. I tried to get a grant from the DNR but they only give the grant if you have 10 acres or more. I only have 7. Next step is to contact the local Pheasants Forever.

It was 10 degrees in town when I went to work. It's 15 here at home. Wind is from the northeast and bringing some lake effect snow. The weekend is supposed to be bitter cold. The pop-up food pantry volunteers will be awful cold tomorrow.

Got 1 egg today. It was still warm when I got it. Shell was a wrinkly texture. I've had a few of them this winter.

I finally got a med that my cardiologist prescribed and the insurance company denied, Only took 11 months to get it. The cost for this stuff is $580 per month. Had I been on the medicine I probably could have avoided that hospital stay. I wonder how much it cost them for that.

Have a good night all.

 

[1muttsfan]

Minus 2 here with a brisk east wind. Supposed to have wind chill warnings until late in the day tomorrow. It was so bitter cold today, even touching the door handles at work was painful. So glad I didn't have to work outside. Even dressed properly, your face froze and the cold air burned when you breathed in.

We have sharp-tailed grouse here, saw one not too long ago.

 

[Sally PB]

When it gets down to 10 F and below, the condensation from breathing makes the hairs in my nose freeze when I inhale. Long ago, when I was in high school and had to wait for the bus, I told a little girl that "I could smell how cold it was." I took a deep sniff, and said, "It's about 10 degrees out."

She was very impressed. She pointed me out to her seat mate and said, "See her? She can smell how cold it is!"

 

[Folly's place]

It's cold here too tonight, nice to be inside.
We have a fireplace insert and love it! Helps with the propane, and is such nice heat.
@RaZ , you might be able to order doors with glass for your new wood stove, if you look online. Ours do get covered in smoke and 'goo', but still can see the fire, very nice.
Mary