Late Firewood Season is an important transitional period between Apple Picking Season and ID Season. It runs concurrently with Fall Garden Clean Up Season, Tree Guard Installation Season and Maine State Hunting Season and always includes Veterans’ Day. LFS (Late Firewood Season) is also a time to look forward to Opening Day at Fenway, only four months away. (If the “strike” is over by then.)

It’s easy to know when this confluence of magical seasons is upon us. It’s the dogs. At about 5:45 AM each morning (except Sundays) the dogs start barking. They are welcoming the hunters who parade slowly down our driveway just before first light to see if they can get to their tree stands before the bucks wake up.

The hunters, in turn, remind us it’s time to get the rest of the tree-guards on before the voles destroy our beloved apple trees. And we know it’s time to get the last of the wood split before it’s buried in snow. To that end I set up Skylar with four prized steel wedges and my favorite sledge to tackle the remaining pile of oak and birch.