I was so proud of the work I got done this sunny Saturday (to be duly noted in coming days), and so proud that I had all that wood dried out and ready to go, and so proud of my kids’ hard work loading up the old woodshed, that I didn’t notice their woodpile starting to lean out of the shed.

I sent the kids in to relax after their hard work, and stayed out to finish fastening out the roof on the new woodshed. I walked past the woodpile ten minutes later and noticed it seemed to be leaning. I went in and pounded the wood in with a block of wood, and it slid back pretty well. I went back to my work, and happened by a few minutes later. The wood was sagging again; and not just the front row but those behind it. I pounded them in again, and they shifted back obediently, the same distance they had gone before. Hmm. I propped some sticks under the stack and kept and eye on it. Sure enough, a few minutes later it had crept forward again.

Yuck.

I had two choices: let the pile come down when it would, while I propped up boards to protect the wall and propane inlet to the house; or pull the pile down now in a controlled demolition. I opted for the latter. Then, because the clouds were moving in, I pulled a tarp over the mess.

We’ll take care of it later.

I know exactly what went wrong, and thought I’d instructed the kids thoroughly on how to stack wood to keep each row leaning back against its brethren. But when we pull this stuff out, more will fall; so it will be the labor of several hours. Well, maybe when we’re done they’ll have learned something about stacking wood, and I’ll have learned something about teaching kids.