Bill's Wood Rick

For those of you unskilled in the ways of the North Woods, a wood rick is a storage shed for firewood. Ricks are required, of course, for those of us who think sitting in front of a wood stove in the winter is suitable entertainment for weekends while snow builds up to impossible depths in winter. My old rick had become an embarrassment. It was too small, leaning precariously, and most shameful of all, it allowed snow and rain to occasionally contaminate my supply of firewood. And so, it was thus I found myself this spring, with my supply of firewood reduced, and the shameful condition of my old rick, virtually forced to construct a new rick if I wanted to continue calling myself a North Woods Man.

As winter’s snow began to diminish, I began to plan construction of a new rick. But the new rick would be different than my old one. I would build it larger, (big enough to accommodate a year’s supply of firewood), and straighter, (maybe I would even use a level to begin construction). And so, as winter’s snow began to diminish in mid-March, I began building my brand-new rick, [using old lumber that I salvaged from my old rick, of course], but with a plan this time, involving use of a level, concrete blocks and, wonder of wonders, plywood and shingles to keep out snow and rain instead of the more customary blue plastic tarps.

Here I am in the final stages of construction.

Surprisingly, the rick was strong enough to support my weight on the roof. The job of shingling the roof was temporarily interrupted by a snowfall that lasted two weeks into April. As the calendar plodded onward, I finally finished the building the rick and began the job of filling it with a new supply of firewood. Here I am with the rick about 1/3 full of oak firewood for next winter.

Stay tuned for my next blog as I explain about the critical nature of stacking firewood for retrieval next winter.