It may be hard to imagine, but winter is just around the corner. This view of the Thiele Farm lane along Route 356 in Jefferson Township should serve as a reminder of what's to come in a few short months.

The Farmer's Almanac predicts a very cold and snowy winter.

Caleb Weatherbee, the almanac's reclusive forecaster, says it will be cold from the Gulf Coast all the way up the East Coast. If he is right, soon we will be paying higher prices for our heating bills again.

If that higher price of fossil fuels is making you consider using wood for heat, you are not alone. There are a number of homes in Butler County already using wood, either to supplement or fulfill their heating requirements.

I can already smell wood being burned in neighborhood fireplaces and wood burners. They have been collecting and stacking their wood for the cold winter months that lie ahead. And, temperatures are already starting to fall.

Wood is a form of solar energy. Sunlight, through photosynthesis, turns carbon dioxide and water into organic material. When a tree dies, bacteria converts it back to carbon dioxide and water, which puts nutrients back into the soil. When a tree is burned, it releases the same ingredients: carbon dioxide, water and ashes. If the burning process is complete and efficient, the stored energy is released as heat and the original components are recycled back to the earth. There is no disruption of natural cycles, just the speeding up of the natural process. However, the burning process is never fully complete and, therefore, there are emissions such as particulate.

Trees are renewable. As poor quality and commercially undesirable trees are removed for firewood, new growth occurs.

As long as the forest is properly managed and only the amount of wood that can be replaced is taken, little or no significant environmental damage occurs. By encouraging new growth, a greater diversity of wildlife habitats is created.

Wood has become one of the top alternative fuels. It cannot totally replace oil, coal or nuclear power in the energy future, but it can complement the energy mix and make regions less dependent on foreign imported, expensive and increasingly scarce fuels.

Species

The most important species characteristics that you should be concerned with is heating value. Certain species of wood are denser and, when burned, give off more heat. Consequently, these are more desirable.

Generally, wood is either characterized as hardwood or softwood, but there is a wide range of heating values among all types of wood. Buyers should note the relative heating values and pay less for species with lower values.

Most wood dealers do not take the time to segregate the wood into grades. It is usually cut and piled as it falls.

It is to your benefit to recognize firewood by the bark so you can determine the value of the wood. A cord with a good mix of wood grades is not a bad buy. It would be handy to have some of the lower quality wood on hand for use as kindling and for heating on warmer days.

Be sure to inspect your chimney and stovepipe before lighting that first fire in your woodstove or fireplace. Chimneys and stovepipes should be kept clean.