Sunday, January 16, 2011

Fireplace Comfort


Our good friends offered free, split, aged firewood to us just before Christmas. My son drove over and loaded the El Camino with wood and Momma taught him to stack a half cord, like her Daddy taught her.


Since then we have enjoyed the mystery and hypnotic power of the fire. The man I lived with for 30 years was allergic to smoke. Asthma, post nasal drip and noises ensued following exposure. Not worth it. Not even in a house with 3 fireplaces. Now- a little woodsmoke in the air smells like freedom. It smells good and it feels good.

I taught my son to make a fire the way my Daddy taught me. We use the tee-pee technique. As the fire mellows it falls in on itself and it rarely fails to make a hot and entrancing fire. We have had the longest cold snap in our recent history and I have fire and I am using it!

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

Good for you!!! I'm so glad to know that you're able to experience things you had to do without for 30 years. And blessings to your neighbor for providing the wood!

danielle said...

You are lucky. The coldest days we are having up here in NO CA - we dont get to use our firplace - and we have a pellet stove - when we bought it we were assured that it is the least polluting - and the Air Quality Board at that time only restricted wood burning fireplaces on poor air quality days. Now it is anything burning that is restricted on those days, which also then happen to be the coldest days. I personallybelieve in a conspiracy theory that they are in cohoots with PG&E!!!
2 fireplaces - wow! Am glad you are able to enjoy something so basically comforting - and am glad to see you back posting!