Winter is upon us, and it's time to put in a little extra effort to keep warm. Most people in Juneau heat with oil, some have electric heat, and some rely primarily on wood. A lot of folks (like us) use a combination that includes wood. And we’ve got wood to burn, lots of damp wood.
Nothing ever really dries out in Juneau, at least not outside. I [Michael] have noticed that wood brought inside for three days or so burns considerably better than wood carried straight from the wood shed to the firebox. The problem has been to find a way to put more wood in the house.
After a couple of weeks actively pondering solutions, I found the answer waiting in the garage. Several months ago I bought a wire paper storage rack, of the kind used in classrooms to sort student paperwork, from the state surplus warehouse. Looking at it yesterday, I suddenly realized that the two frame pieces could be reoriented to make two sides, and the paper rack became a wood rack. Each shelf holds about as much wood as what fits in the basket we use to shuttle wood in from outside. Before this revelation I thought I would have to build a rack from scratch, but Sheryl and I both think this looks at least as good as anything I could have fabricated.
