We cut our own firewood here in Northern New Mexico, and we use a woodburning stove to heat the house. (I love that comforting radiant heat. And that piney smell.) The Forest Service sells permits ($10) for a cord of pinon or juniper. The idea is to let the big ponderosa pines flourish. I have dragged my fair share of wood out of the mountains over the last several years. But my husband saws it up into firelogs before we haul it to the truck or trailer, which is not nearly as romantic as logging with horses. I sure would love to use my Percheron, the tractor with fur, to do some logging. When I buy his harness, it's going to be a heavy-duty farm type.

Woodcutting days are some of the best. I do understand what this fellow is talking about in this documentary about logging. This longing for something else in the midst of a world of technology.

Serenity. Adventure. Beauty.

There's something primal about watching with satisfaction as your woodpile grows and you know you could make it through this winter and the next.