I always loved it when I was a kid and it would be our day's work to clear stuff in the garden and Dad would light a bonfire. As an adult I became a glass artist and started melting glass in the torch flame - I wonder whether the two things were related?!
Oh wow, Rebecca, they sure could be related! And a glass artist, that's exciting. I'm always mesmerized when watching glass blowers! Such a beautiful craft! 💟
When I moved here from New York in 1990, I was a once-country girl returning to familiar territory. For the past 20 years, I've lived in my dream cabin in the woods. We heat only with wood. My children were appalled - I was committing the sin of pollution! I had given up clean electric furnace and clean gas heaters! I was destroying trees. Well of course, now the fashion and science have turned and burning wood that comes from thinning our woods is considered a good thing to do. I get up every morning in winter about 5 and clean out the stove and set up the day's fire. When my husband gets up, I light it. And so it goes.
We do burn piles because keeping wild property sightly and safe means trim trim trim. And clean clean clean. Heating this way doesn't save us money - we have to hire the cutters. But I love love love a fire.
That fire pit brings so much joy and hilarious memories! I’m just glad that we didn’t get stuck in the canyon with a broken axil on our Tacoma. I keep chanting “I think I can, I think I can” as we made the ascent out of the canyon.
Dear One...Thank you for this luscious story! We are kindred spirits to be sure...I actually have been making firewood for most of my life as a down home country boy. One of our very best investments was the more than $5k it cost to install a big new woodstove with a big glass door on our hearth.
We keep the fire going 24/7 as an absolute necessity against the freezing temps and raging storms, but it is a joy to be able to watch the flames dancing in the belly of the stove through the glass, especially when we shut off all the lights at night.
We also have a fire place grate for it, so we can open the big door and fold it away to make the stove into a fireplace.
We have had many happy hours sitting together by the fire in the stove, drinking tea and simply enjoy our companionship, the crackle of burning wood and the magical colors of a well laid fire...
Yes, I can tell from your response you enjoy a fire as much as I do! I should have posted a photo of our wood pile, as that's really funny. We had a lot of branches and trees go down last year, as well as our neighbors. We cut up all of ours and took what our neighbors didn't want as well. The pile is way too big, lol! But in time we will burn it or share it with someone who needs it! 💟
I hear there are six more weeks of winter. I like to sit by the fire but how I wish there was a way to get that warmth on your back at the same time? Have an awesome weekend.
Love it! We have those same chairs and love to sit out by our “fire pit” which is really just a big spot in the earth right now. One day I hope to have a real pit, though. #goals
Isn't it the best sitting by a fire. Were it not for our dear friends we might still be sitting by a spot in the earth! Anyplace by a fire is my idea of heaven. Tonight we just made a new pit from our old bbq on our back porch. It worked great. All about repurposing. 💜
Such a lovely post, Sue!
I always loved it when I was a kid and it would be our day's work to clear stuff in the garden and Dad would light a bonfire. As an adult I became a glass artist and started melting glass in the torch flame - I wonder whether the two things were related?!
Oh wow, Rebecca, they sure could be related! And a glass artist, that's exciting. I'm always mesmerized when watching glass blowers! Such a beautiful craft! 💟
Thanks, Sue! I reckon Dad has a lot to answer for! 😊
Melting glass with fire is really exciting! I wrote a post about it - well, strictly speaking, how I stopped doing it - here!
https://rebeccaholden.substack.com/p/21-reigniting-the-flame
Awesome, I will enjoy reading this I'm sure! 💟
I agree fires are magical, the heat, the cracking sound and the beauty of the flames. So glad you are enjoying your beautiful fire pit.
Thanks, Lynn! 💟
Lovely!
When I moved here from New York in 1990, I was a once-country girl returning to familiar territory. For the past 20 years, I've lived in my dream cabin in the woods. We heat only with wood. My children were appalled - I was committing the sin of pollution! I had given up clean electric furnace and clean gas heaters! I was destroying trees. Well of course, now the fashion and science have turned and burning wood that comes from thinning our woods is considered a good thing to do. I get up every morning in winter about 5 and clean out the stove and set up the day's fire. When my husband gets up, I light it. And so it goes.
We do burn piles because keeping wild property sightly and safe means trim trim trim. And clean clean clean. Heating this way doesn't save us money - we have to hire the cutters. But I love love love a fire.
I love that you heat with wood. And I think that's so humorous that you received that notice from PG&E. 💟
That fire pit brings so much joy and hilarious memories! I’m just glad that we didn’t get stuck in the canyon with a broken axil on our Tacoma. I keep chanting “I think I can, I think I can” as we made the ascent out of the canyon.
Such funny memories! We are beyond blessed. 💟
Love this!!! The Pit and Grove are some of my favorite places on earth! 😍
Awww, you are such an intregral part of the pit family :) And only one more week until we meet you there! 💟
Dear One...Thank you for this luscious story! We are kindred spirits to be sure...I actually have been making firewood for most of my life as a down home country boy. One of our very best investments was the more than $5k it cost to install a big new woodstove with a big glass door on our hearth.
We keep the fire going 24/7 as an absolute necessity against the freezing temps and raging storms, but it is a joy to be able to watch the flames dancing in the belly of the stove through the glass, especially when we shut off all the lights at night.
We also have a fire place grate for it, so we can open the big door and fold it away to make the stove into a fireplace.
We have had many happy hours sitting together by the fire in the stove, drinking tea and simply enjoy our companionship, the crackle of burning wood and the magical colors of a well laid fire...
Yes, I can tell from your response you enjoy a fire as much as I do! I should have posted a photo of our wood pile, as that's really funny. We had a lot of branches and trees go down last year, as well as our neighbors. We cut up all of ours and took what our neighbors didn't want as well. The pile is way too big, lol! But in time we will burn it or share it with someone who needs it! 💟
Thank you for sharing!
You are welcome! You need to head over to the pit some afternoon this winter! 💟
I hear there are six more weeks of winter. I like to sit by the fire but how I wish there was a way to get that warmth on your back at the same time? Have an awesome weekend.
Thanks, Vicki! You too. 💟
Wow, what glorious environments you create and share!!!
Thank you, Lisa!! 💟
Love this post! Your “wing-woman” and Rick’s “wing-man” are amazing— like the two of you! I love Sanchez Grove. ♥️
Aren't they the best?
Here's to many more evenings with all of us spent at the pit! 💜
Love it! We have those same chairs and love to sit out by our “fire pit” which is really just a big spot in the earth right now. One day I hope to have a real pit, though. #goals
Isn't it the best sitting by a fire. Were it not for our dear friends we might still be sitting by a spot in the earth! Anyplace by a fire is my idea of heaven. Tonight we just made a new pit from our old bbq on our back porch. It worked great. All about repurposing. 💜
Yes, that would be fun!
Nice! Your energy use was lower than efficient homes by 11 %
You used less energy than similar homes!
Note I just got from PG&E