cold cold cold

[bobbin]

A teeny bit of snow last night, but sunny and above 32F today so it melted.  Warm is still moving north and it's been raining since 3-4PM.  It's really been very warm this winter, we've really been given a gift from what could be crippling heating bills.  Even so, many families are really struggling to pay for heating oil (this is the go-to fuel in NE) and I was shocked to learn that homes with young children living in 40-50F homes are becoming common.  The man who delivers our oil said his employer is carrying a lot of elderly customers and a lot of "young" families.  Fuel assistance allowances are low as budgets are necessarily cut.  All this speaks to the ravaged economy and the old, under-insulated housing stock.  It scares me, as a product of the "baby boom" and a child of the "energy crisis" I've never seen it as bad as this in my area. 

We split wood on Saturday (from a tree we'd taken down).  It is ear marked for winter 2014, and we remarked that our efficient wood stoves have shielded us from very high heating expenses.  That, and a relatively new and well insulated home.  The times are definitely changin'!

[kodydog]

Bobbin nothing like heating with free fuel. I always have my eyes open for free fire wood. Last year the county trimmed the trees near the road in our neighborhood and left it sitting there. Free fuel. And during a storm a neighbor's Live Oak tree fell over. A chain saw and sweat equity and I have enough wood to burn all winter. Hate to hear about the youngins and the elderly. I hope I'm never in that situation.