ROSEWOOD — As summer turns toward the idea of fall, a local man has begun the annual ritual of stacking firewood with the focus of a Swiss watchmaker and the judgment of a French waiter on a place outside Rosewood.

“If the pile leans, the whole winter leans,” he said, which is not true but felt true in his chest.

Neighbors with loose, chaotic woodpiles reported receiving long looks from his truck as he drove past at 3 mph toward US-68, collecting evidence.