We're staying warm!

Even though we are facing climate challenges, many Norwegians use firewood to heat their houses in the winter. About 30% use low emission wood burning stoves. Interestingly enough, electric power is very expensive in Norway. There is a free market of power in Norway. When this changed, they hoped for lower electric prices, but that didn't work. The market place forced the prices up. You can shop from any power company that provide to your area; however, you have to pay 'rent' for transporting the power to your house to the local company that owns the lines. In our area the company is called 'Hålogaland Kraft' and the rent is mighty expensive. We (at our house) pay almost the same in rent as we do for power usage. Norway is the 4th largest oil producing country in the world, but 99% of power used in Norway is hydro electric. There are 740 hydro power plants in Norway, divided in two different kinds of installations: Volume power plants (typically in rivers) and high fall power plants (not so much water, but high fall). The power plants are spread all over Norway, but of course the western part has many plants. The largest hydro electric plant is in Rogaland (southwest), Kvilldal Power Station. See list over all registered power stations in the world on Wikipedia: List of hydroelectric power stations. The larger ones in Norway are listed here. 

Nice pile of fire wood cut this summer (Charley helped, too). It will be stacked to dry and cut during this winter,  and then burned the following winter. This is at my parent's house.

This is where the wood will be stacked. An old well house on the right and the kids' playhouse of the left.

My dad and I spent 2 days carrying, stacking and securing the stack. He is nearing 90 years old, so we took a little at the time. Although, he has no problem carrying large trunks or balancing on top of the stack. It is covered by roofing materials so the snow won't sit on top of it and soak it, and then the cover is tied down so the storms won't blow it off.