The unusually bitter cold of February has put a huge dent in our woodpile. With another six weeks left in the heating season, we need to take some time to add to the wood pile. The challenge is, with all this snow, how do we get to the trees?

Down the woods road, there are a number of trees on the edge of the lot that came down in autumn storms. Our property is at the end of our road. The town plow runs past our drive and leaves a bank of snow at the start of our woods road. With 8+ feet of snow in February alone, you can imagine the size of that snowbank.

Paul spent some time down there today with the tractor trying to dig out the woods road. He scooped out bucket after bucket and discarded the snow off to the side.

Finally, he reached one of the buried sawhorses blocking public access to the road. When he arrived home, cold and tired and he told me what he’d accomplished, I had to head down to take a look.

With the help of the snowbank, I took a selfie to provide a little perspective on the situation. Snow up to my hips – and this after a week of temps above freezing.

I think Paul’s got a little more digging out to do. Those trees are so close, yet so far away.