Playing with Fire

Since joining the work-from-home labor force last year, I've discovered the delights of working in various places around the house: Bedroom, kitchen, living room, family room, back patio, etc. A good wireless connection and a pretty slick laptop make for a pretty productive combination, and the landscape outside makes a pretty nice window view in all directions.

By far, there's no delight like settling in on the couch, feet up on the ottoman, with a good fire going in the Buck Stove as the temperatures dip outside. We were told the house's prior owners had a heck of a time getting the stove to not belch wood smoke inside, and generally left it unused. We have had no such problems (well, maybe once or twice), and can regularly keep the house at 78-82 degrees using only the stove and the interior circulating fan. (Happiness is a silent and inactive heat pump.)

By far, the biggest challenge has been the finding the right types and quantities of firewood. The first winter, we ran out around Christmas and were saved only by a neighbor who donated some unused cords of well-seasoned pine. Year two found us running out as well, though we resorted to cutting down deadwood in our yard. Still, we found ourselves buying a half truckload of pretty unseasoned oak that the seller swore he'd burned with great results (though I suspect he used napalm as an accelerant).
This year, we've been blessed with good friends who donated dead trees from their yards. But not just any tree - - some well-seasoned Hickory, about two cord's worth. Cutting, splitting and stacking it back in late August was a herculean task, but has proved well worth the effort. A chart from The Log Rack blog shows the BTU potential of several types of firewood (along with ease of splitting, burning, sparks, smoke, etc.) and Hickory regularly comes out on top.

We've finally dialed in our stove damper/vent combinations, and have found that we can easily get two hours of unattended burn time out of just three pieces of wood. This is a vast improvement over prior years when we've burned maple or poplar (which seems to burn to ash in minutes).

I can't deny, I look at those with propane fireplaces and sometimes feel a touch of envy at those who enjoy the warmth of a fire without the backache of tree felling, log splitting and stacking, ash scooping, chimney cleaning and more. But then I look at a woods full of potential fuel and it all seems worth it (especially when the electric co-op bill comes). And besides, if I close my eyes, it almost feels as warm as a summer afternoon on the beach.