Splitting in the Rain

OK, start humming the tune, "Singing in the Rain." Change the words to "Splitting in the Rain," and you will know what I did this morning.

We heat our Creekside home with a wood stove, so I need to split wood to keep the wood stove going. Splitting wood is my favorite thing to do, even in the rain. I just put on my father's Carhartt jacket, put the hood on and go for it.

My father died in 1995. We had bought him a new Carhartt jacket the winter before he died, but he did not feel well enough to wear it. After he died, I started wearing it to split wood and work outside in the winter. I think of Dad and enjoy God's fall spendor, even if it is raining. The jacket is starting to fade a bit and wear at the sleeves, but I like it when it gets broken in. What a great way to spend the morning...exercise, time alone with God and great memories of Dad.

By the way, I use a wood splitter. I do not have enough upper body strength to use a maul or ax. Twenty two years ago, Dad tried to show me how to split wood with a maul. After hours of trying, he gave up on me. I was useless! I could not hit the wood, let alone split it. After I have moved back to the mountains of northern California for the winter, Dad sent me a drawing. It had a picture of Bob with a big block of wood. It said, "Bob - whack." It also had a picture of Loretta with a little piece of wood. It said, "Loretta - thump."

Now you know why I use a wood splitter!