I'm working away splitting firewood this afternoon, and I'm thinking, most men my age wouldn't have the strength and fitness to be able to do this. I'm bloody lucky.
And then I'm thinking, most folk my age (in Scotland) can afford to live in homes where winter fuel comes down a pipe. They're bloody lucky.
Both these things are true.
But spare a thought – or more – for those folk for whom neither of these things are true.
@simon_brooke That's why we have global warming. That stuff coming down the pipe is poisoning the earth. How old are you? I am 72 and just spent an hour splitting wood. After my rest I will go back for another hour. We had a cold spell last week including one day with 33 F high and 19 F low. So I am filling back up.
@simon_brooke @TheOldGuy you are very lucky to still be able to do that at 69 and 72. We can't any more, 68, shoulder problems, probably from a lifetime of splitting wood 😁
@TheOldGuy I'm 69 and I've just come in from six hours splitting wood. It's a tree that came down in Friday's storm; it'll not be ready to burn this winter but it's still a very useful pile of firewood.
And you're right: the fuel which comes down the pipe is killing the planet. But we also don't have land to grow enough forest to heat every home on firewood, so heat pumps of one kind or the other are going to have to do for most folk.