Sunday 28 November 2010

Waiting

It's nearly Winter again and so we've been firing up the woodstove regularly. I really like lighting the fire, and doing so when there are still some embers from the night before has been a good exercise in the benefits of waiting. It can be tempting to throw a match in there or use the butane lighter, but more and more I like to just lay the wood on top of the embers, sit back and wait. I'm trying to do that more in life as well: set the proper conditions and then wait for the results in Nature's good time.

9 comments:

Liz said...

Nice to see you, Theresa! I've missed your posts.

Theresa said...

Hi Liz! Ya, I've been lying low here for a while. I'm going to try and post more often, but keep it short. Hope you and yours are doing well!

The Mound of Sound said...

Wonderful, Theresa. I kicked the fossil fuel heating this year and went the wood stove route - and I'm loving it. Of course with the ocean a block away we don't get your winters but I find that a fire of about 6-hours duration keeps my place comfortable for a full day which must speak volumes for modern home insulation.

Around here the forest companies license scavengers who go in and clean up felled trees left around after a clear cut. It used to be the big companies would simply bulldoze them into a pile and burn them on the slops before replanting. Now I get to buy that waste wood to burn in my own stove.

Have a snug winter

Cheers

Theresa said...

Hello MofS - thanks for stopping by and taking the time to leave a comment :) We supplement our natural gas heat with our woodstove, installed several years ago when natgas prices started to get so high. It does help keep the house cozy and the bills manageable :) We have a woodlot and just burn deadfall or other scavanged wood. My father-in-law on Vancouver Island (Saanich Peninsula) does what you do and goes to get wood from clearcut areas - makes a lot more sense than just burning it in big piles for no reason! Thanks for the well wishes and I hope you have a snug winter as well :)

Bev said...

We've been heating with wood this year too and I am loving it. I've tried waiting for the wood to ignite on embers, but I think our wood is too wet for that.

We find the house gets almost too warm at times but we are still learning to regulate the temperature. What a change from living in an underinsulated house with electric baseboard heating!

I've missed your ponderings!

Theresa said...

Hi Bev! How nice of all of you to come and comment, since I've pretty much fallen of the face of planet blog of late :)

Wet wood is no fun, that's for sure. The waiting method definitely doesn't work under those conditions. Keep warm and dry!

Unknown said...

A wood stove is a comfort, in so many ways.

We have our new Nectre Bakers Oven in place now and have been able to actually BAKE in it (and cook on the surface too). Having the kettle over the stove is a wonderful thing - hot water on demand, but ... different!

It's such a deeply primal joy, being warmed by a fire. Aaaah. :)

Theresa said...

"Deeply primal" - yes, exactly! I have a camping oven that I put on the wood stove to bake in - I have a feeling your Baker's Oven is a bit more substantial and oven-like, yes? Sounds wonderful!

Anonymous said...

Good to know about Nice to see you, Theresa! I've missed your posts.
Thank you for post..

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