Working hard or hardly working?

Well, Old Man Winter is about to pop us all with another round of chilly (to say the least) weather.  Today was the last warmish day we will see for a while.  Not that I am complaining as our winters are nothing like those faced by our neighbors to the north.  Here, we will be near or just below freezing.  Not bad when you consider the rest of the nation.  Still, this called for a bit of preparation. The houseplants had to be hauled inside and the garden needed covering. The old wood stoves need firewood if they are to do their job so gathering firewood was high on the agenda.  Last week, I noticed that our big old mimosa tree had seen better days.  The largest portion of it had died and was dangerously close to falling on the stack of lumber.  Mark used his chainsaw to trim out the dead wood.  This would be split by Michael and added to the woodpile.  I am not above burning any type wood if necessary.  I figure that it is better to make use of something rather than waste it and that applies to dead trees as well.   My day was spent indoors as I was feeling a bit "under the weather".  Every now and again, I would peek out the window at the progress of the ongoing chore.  Even being ill, I felt that I should be out helping.  Usually, my job is hauling the split wood and stacking it on the wood rack.  I do not mind.  At least it is something to do outdoors.  

Once when I was watching the guys, I noticed a small ant crawling on the window ledge.  This was a brave little guy!  I wondered if he knew about the cold spell that was headed our way.  He needed to be far underground.  That little ant made me wish that I was as strong as him.  How easy would it be to fill that wood rack if I had his strength!  Earlier in the year, I watched as some ants carried chunks of stuff from our compost to their nest underground.  They hoisted huge pieces of food high above their heads and made the trek of about thirty feet to the hole.  Then the food was carried through tunnels until it was safely tucked away in some storage cell.  It is a well known fact that the little guys are strong and can carry many times their weight.  My carrying a few pieces of firewood pales in comparison to the load that an ant can carry. I do so wish I had the strength of an ant!  Or, maybe, I should train them to carry the firewood!  Nah....I am not on that good of terms with any of the ants on the hillside!