Preparing for Winter

Well, we got our first load of wood, in preparation for the coming winter. We don't plan to use our stove for a couple of months, but buying wood early saves quite a bit of money. This year, I was able to buy a metric ton (1,000 k's) for 1800 pesos. This is beautiful red cedar, nicely dried and split. Last year, towards the end of winter, I had to buy less quality for almost 30% more. I will buy another ton on Wednesday and our wood storage area (which will hold 2 tons) will be filled to capacity. We will probably use 4-5 tons this winter. However, since we will be burning a better wood, I hope that I can plan more economical fires.

The days are still nice and warm. The nights are cool and sometimes it is a touch chilly in the morning. But you can still go outside in shorts most of the days. This is a beautiful time of year when it is beginning to cool, but still warm and sunny. This morning, however, I got my first mosquito bites. We haven't had any mosquitoes, this year (to speak of), but I remember that February of last year was the killer season for mosquitoes, so I am expecting them to get worse this month. They will be most active in the morning and early evening, but from here on out, we will enter combat mode. In combat mode, we let the dogs in and out through the laundry room, securing the area with Raid, before letting them into the rest of the house. Also, we enter and exit quickly and make daily sweeps to keep the house free of mosquitoes. Still, there is only so much you can do, and despite how annoying mosquito bites can be, they subside within an hour or so. They are a minor annoyance, when compared to the beauty that surrounds us.