During the porch renovation, I put aside all the short pieces of pine that had originally lined the walls between the tops of the screens and the roof. They neatly filled the big kindling box by the woodstove.
All winter, as needed, I'd pull out a piece of the old pine,
set it on the edge of the box, tap it with my hatchet,
and the kindling would fall right back into the box.
So tidy!
 |
| Action shot! See the falling piece? |
This s a handful of kindling from one piece of wood.
Multiply this by about 50.
Its been very satisfying.
Piper checking my work:
(As you see, Piper has also been opening her mail.)
It's been quite cold lately, and daily chores again include
bringing in an armload of stovewood
every time I come inside.
I can actually see the bottom of the kindling box.
The timing is good, because now I can call this,
"cleaning out the kindling box."
As if I am actually cleaning something.
In my house.
(Ha.)
I am also burning the few pieces of stovewood
that have been set aside.
Every year, some pieces are just so interesting
I keep them to ponder for a while.
Usually, they are the last pieces to be burned in the Spring.
Occasionally, they are the first pieces
to be burned the following winter.
And very, very occasionally,
they aren't burned for years.
But that doesn't mean they are entirely safe
from destruction.
"Art is not eternal.
Go find yourself another piece of wood."
I hope you are having a warm and pleasant Sunday,
wherever in the world you are.
~~~~~
Oh, look at the mountains and oceans and rock formations in that wood..so evocative. And Piper the Pragmatic saying plenty more where that came from!
ReplyDeleteI wonder if they make dog bone envelopes? I think a nice fire in the spring to take the damp chill off almost feels like Christmas.
ReplyDeleteA hairy face pushed into everything we do.yes thats my dog too. She likes nothing better than crunching up a peice of wood.
ReplyDeleteWhat lovely wood and am sure it's great kindling. Part of my hemlock tree came down and I'm going to cut smaller pieces for fat wood. There's always something to do, eh Quinn? I'm so sorry it's still so nasty cold there; it's cold here but most of the ice/snow has melted, except for the north side of the mountain. I'm still wearing flannel nightgowns and, during the day, woolens.
ReplyDeleteWe have a wood stove fire going too! It's snowing hard here so your post really hit home for us. We often keep using wood into May. I wish that I could use a hatchet to make kindling. It looks so satisfying... but my neck won't let me.
ReplyDeleteHere's hoping the need for kindling is going to be behind you soon. Spring has to come - doesn't it?
ReplyDeleteWe long for an open fire and can't have one - long story, about shoddy builders and dodgy chimneys and not enough cash to put it right - and part of what I miss is just having firewood and kindling about the place. I never minded the whole logs in/ash out business, it was worth it for the flame, and the free art in the log basket. I'm glad to discover that others feel that way about it too :o)
ReplyDelete