Sunny, windy, chilly

We have now entered the preparatory stages of winter, in which Mainers stick their heads out the side door (the kitchen door remains the true entry of the house), say "Oh," and reach back to collect hat and gloves.  Neighbors to the south (they of Nikita the Cat and Muggsy the Fat Cat) spent Sunday tacking long rolls of plastic sheeting to the lower course of siding, to block wind from the brick foundation.  Etc, etc, etc.

We can expect the annual round of house fires, as folks crank up the wood stove without cleaning chimneys or moving the summer's accretion of combustibles away a good safe distance.  And haul ashes out in paper bags and set them in the garage or shed, without considering live coals...

Probably more than usual, with the high price of oil.  Papers and TV news have focused on a shortage of seasoned firewood in the market.