Ashes to traction, dust to dust

If you have a fireplace or woodburning stove you have ashes. I find the fireplace ashes to be almost as useful as the wood that heats our house (almost). I save the ashes in a metal tin until there is zero chance that there may be any live embers. I then have several options. If our sidewalk or driveway is icy I can sprinkle the ashes on it to increase traction dramatically. I am careful to not put the ashes near the door so they don't get tracked into the house. This is a natural alternative that eliminates the need to buy salt which can damage plantings. The other use for ashes is odor control. We have chickens so the bin we collect their waste in before dumping it into the compost pile can get stinky in warm weather. A thin dusting of ashes from a large bag I keep nearby eliminates all odor. I also sprinkle under the chicken perch whenever I clean up their droppings to prevent odor. Works great. You can also add some to your kitchen scrap compost bin if you find it getting a little ripe. So don't make the mistake of tossing this great, free resource. Let me know of any other uses you've found for yours.