Cubist
Member
- Messages
- 2,270
- Location
- Shropshire/Herefordshire Border
I've been making a conscious effort not to grumble and grouch about troublesome issues, paricularly those that are semi regular and to all intents and purposes beyond my control but...
Yesterday I took delivery of the first consignment of firewood for our use over the coming winter and today I began the task of stacking the logs in one of my sheds. This is, you'll understand, an activity that can be reasonably arduous but, while one has to be careful to avoid minor injury, it is a rather mindless duty and consequently ones thoughts can turn to other matters. Setting aside this years confirmation that 'firewood warms you twice', while I was neatly arranging this years log stack, my mind strayed to a couple of vaguely related conundrums that inevitably and repeatedly pop up at this time of year. Curiously both these puzzles can only be resolved by finding an answer to that old chestnut - 'How long is a piece of string?'
My first riddle concerns the replacement of the fire-rope used to seal the doors of our wood-burners - no matter what techniques I apply I always seem to end up with either too much, or worse, too little, to complete the seal around the door or tray. I know its about the tension I apply either during the measurement or as I'm fitting it to the door but just once I would like to get it right.
My second piece of string? The Rebuild Cost of this pile of sticks.
Least said about that the better - for my blood pressure.
Yesterday I took delivery of the first consignment of firewood for our use over the coming winter and today I began the task of stacking the logs in one of my sheds. This is, you'll understand, an activity that can be reasonably arduous but, while one has to be careful to avoid minor injury, it is a rather mindless duty and consequently ones thoughts can turn to other matters. Setting aside this years confirmation that 'firewood warms you twice', while I was neatly arranging this years log stack, my mind strayed to a couple of vaguely related conundrums that inevitably and repeatedly pop up at this time of year. Curiously both these puzzles can only be resolved by finding an answer to that old chestnut - 'How long is a piece of string?'
My first riddle concerns the replacement of the fire-rope used to seal the doors of our wood-burners - no matter what techniques I apply I always seem to end up with either too much, or worse, too little, to complete the seal around the door or tray. I know its about the tension I apply either during the measurement or as I'm fitting it to the door but just once I would like to get it right.
My second piece of string? The Rebuild Cost of this pile of sticks.
Least said about that the better - for my blood pressure.