Time for firewood

It's so long to summer and hello fall. It's that time of the year when we like to go firewood cutting. It's neat to go out in the forest and be close to nature. Maybe bring along a lunch and plenty of water. One thing, you have to stay hydrated because it's pretty hard physical work. Actually, it's very hard sometimes. It would be best to take another strong, young man with you. My husband is very strong, but at the age of 68, he's getting up there.

Cutting firewood is a good cardiovascular workout, that's for sure. I went with him last week and my only chore was to pull branches off the rounds and jump up when the heavy logs come rolling down the hill. You can get hurt if you're not careful.

The U.S. Forest Service regulations include having eye protection, earplugs, safety helmet, leather gloves, leg protection and iron-toed boots. They also say that you must have an approved spark arrester and fire extinguisher.

The dry wood makes a hotter fire, reduces air pollution and heats your home more efficiently. The firewood should dry for at least 6 to 12 months before you use it. Softwood, like pine or fir, ignites easily, burns fast and hot and is ideal for kindling. Hardwood, like pinon or oak, takes longer to ignite, but it burns slower and releases more heat and produces less smoke.

We got our firewood permit from the U.S. Forest Service. The cost was $20 per cord for a maximum of 10 cords per year. How much is a cord? I learned that a standard cord of split wood is 4-by-4-by-8 feet. Normally, you can load a quarter-cord in most small pickups, a halfcord in a short bed truck, and a half to three-quarters of a cord in a long bed full-size pickup. The wood must be for your personal use only.

In a few more weeks our fall nights will start to be really chilly and I know that I'm going to appreciate our warm, cozy wood stove.

Flu season

It's flu time and I already got my shot so you won't see me coughing and sneezing and complaining about everything. This influenza is a very contagious disease and can cause fever, headache, muscle aches, chills, sore throat, fatigue and way more. It can even lead to pneumonia and is dangerous for people with heart or breathing conditions.

It takes up to two weeks for protection to develop after the shot and protection lasts up to a year. Who should get vaccinated? Anyone with long-term health problems or a weakened immune system or a resident of a nursing home or is a health care provider. The influenza vaccine can prevent influenza " so take care of yourself now, before it's too late.

n Linda Monohan may be reached at 782-5802.