Ode to the Wood Stove!

I know this is not particularly "on topic", but I just can't help myself. Sometimes some things require shouting from the mountain tops, whatever odd topic it is.

Weather really rules the day here in Big Sky. Summer means great hikes in the morning and finding shelter for the afternoon thunder and lightning storm. Fall and spring mean mud, mud, and mud. Did I mention mud? And winter is all about snow. Once we have snow on the ground, it's here to stay. Winter is really more than 6 months long. If you're like me and love to ski in all forms, winter is a thumbs up season. Not to mention that all that darkness at night is good for productive craftiness. Unfortunately, snow requires freezing temps, and I'm a cold-blooded woman (not emotionally, but ice-cube-toes-and-fingers wise  :)  ). Thankfully, there is one invention that keeps the winter cold outside and makes the inside feel permanently warm and cozy...

The wood stove!!

Mr. Moon and I moved to Big Sky in 2008 and first-thing-first (well, after painting the walls something besides primer white) was ripping out the lame, no-heat-producing stove insert we had (how satisfying!) and installing a winning wood stove. And let me tell you, this was 100% the best decision we could have made. First off, we figured out it would pay for itself in 2 years, thanks to our expensive electric heat. 2 years?! Wow! Wait, wait, I just realized that means we already did it. That just cannot be beat. Second, we get to have a fire everyday. Translation: heat, warmth, heat, warmth, t-shirts in the house!

16 outside? That's like the tropics! Fortunately, it still does its job at -20  :)

It's true that the fire doesn't make itself and you have to cut kindling and cut wood and build the fire and keep it going. Admittedly, I was a little scared of this before we took the leap. But the truth? With the right tools (and a wood-cutting husband), it is not hard. If it was "wood stove + build fire" versus "electric heat + no work" in the ring together - wood stove + build fire wins every time.

Required for successful wood stove heating.

And the payoff? A happy family of warm furry animals and somewhere for me to bask to keep my blood warm. Every day!

If I was Pee Wee Herman, I would marry the wood stove instead of the fruit salad. Just saying...