In my last post, which was admittedly of the blah, blah, click variety, I mentioned briefly that I was up at 6:30 awaiting a wood delivery. If you read the first comment on that post you will note that Otto asked for clarification on the wood delivery. (I was so hoping someone would ask!) This post is that clarification.
Clearly, Otto, living south Florida, has no need of the kind of wood delivery of which I speak. In the Pacific Northwest, we have these contraptions in our homes called fireplaces, wood stoves and wood stove inserts (a woodstove inserted into the fireplace and venting out the chimney instead of a pipe up through the roof). These contraptions require wood to work. They heat the place up, making the home a warm and cozy place for all to abide and while costs of wood are increasing they are still cheaper to use as heat for an old energy inefficient home like my own.
However, this wood delivery of mine is not to be confused with another kind of delivery known as the Early Morning Wood delivery. This kind of delivery, like the other wood delivery, works in a certain contraption, heats things up and makes the home a warm and cozy place for all to abide. This kind of Early Morning Wood delivery is definitely, well, usually, worth waking up for especially if you have no regular Wood Supplier. If you have a regular Wood Supplier…that’s even better! Since The Wild Mind does not have a Regular Wood Supplier this is NOT the kind of delivery I spoke of in my last post. My delivery was quite a bit more boring and uneventful than the Early Morning Wood delivery which is anything but boring and uneventful if you are dealing with the right kind of Wood.
Of course, both types of Wood have issues that need to be considered. First, the Wood must be adequately seasoned. If it is not, then a phenomenon known as Wet Wood occurs and the Wood will not light long enough to get the Stove warm and heated. It might light very briefly, but then it flames out before the stove has warmed enough. Once the Wood has become Wet it won’t light at all and a certain amount of time must pass in order for it to be able to even light, let alone burn, adequately.
Further, certain kinds of Wood provide greater satisfaction and heating warmth than others and this should be carefully contemplated when determining if the Wood is going to provide the heat and warmth you seek. Some people prefer pellets because that is what their contraption requires. Others prefer logs of madrone; a large, solid, thick red wood, that burns for hours and provides the warmest heat. I personally am a madrone girl, but to each her own. I’ve heard Pellet heat can be every bit as comforting as the Madrone Wood. Since I really don’t care to do the research on that myself, I will have to take the Pellet Users’ word for it.
Hopefully, Otto, this provided you with clarification on my own wood delivery, which was not the Early Morning Wood delivery I would have preferred were the right Supplier available.
For all ladies out there who Heat With Wood: If a Wood Supplier appears on your doorstep at 6:30 in the morning and he is reliable, trustworthy and able to continue to make delieveries then you should check his Wood to see if it is the type your contraption requires. Don’t forget to consider the cost; some Wood ain’t worth the price no matter what. Do make sure it is well seasoned though. Trying to light Unseasoned Wood is extremely frustrating and futile. The Wood might have some brief fun, but your stove will remain cold and your fire unkindled. If everything checks out and is suitable to you, then my advice ladies, is: tell him where to start stacking!
The Wild Mind 
Ah, yes.
Might I say that hale and hearty, and hailing from the New England states, I do know the value of a morning wood delivery. While I left that part of the world many moons ago, I’ve tended to light where bundling is still required during the wintry months. That leaves the need for heating sources wide open, and as I like it hot – morning, afternoon, or evening wood deliveries are always welcome, and at times, required.
Would that Otto knew the wonders of poking embers to find a spark, blowing just a little to ease it into a small flame, then experiencing the fire as it catches and fills the stove, the oven, the partially enclosed hearth with its wondrous scents and life-affirming fire.
That reminds me. I need to call a chimney sweep… we’re entering that season, even in my warmer climes.
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ROFLMAO!!!!!
Leave it to you, BLW, to take my tawdry inuendo just that much further. I didn’t even think of the blowing and the embers and the sparks and, oh, that life affirming fire. Way too much fun! I’m glad I didn’t, though, because reading your comment was so fun to read. If laughter is the best medicine, then I am now well medicated (among other things)!
I seriously do hate the chimney sweep action though. Not so much fun, but necessary.
I wonder, does the chimney feel violated with sweeps poking around uninvited?
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“Tawdry innuendo.”
Oooo. That sounds like a gooey, sensual dessert. Mmmm.
Now, as to your comment regarding my comment – the operative term is “uninvited.” No one likes poking of any sort, uninvited (unless unofficially invited to poke at any time). Those who sweep my chimney are invited; thus, no violation.
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Wood is good. The important thing about wood heat is good wood of course, but I find if I prepare the firebox carefully I will almost always have successful combustion, often for hours and hours as long as I’m mindful of taking good care of that there fire. Taking your time in the preparation is an important skill. One must not put the wood in the firebox without first establishing that the conditions are proper for good wood ignition. The light must be right. Often music helps this process. Of course mindfulness comes into play. Children in the room can be very distracting so make sure your children are happily occupied. No distractions. Once you’ve opened the door to the firebox make sure you’ve got good wood. Then slowly, gently and with mindfulness erect a small amount of wood into the firebox. You don’t want to put in large amounts of wood right way. A good fire wants to build slowly, but of course sometimes the fire is already burning strong and in that case putting in big pieces of wood with a certain vigor is appropriate and recommended. But I get ahead of my self. Once the bed of fire is prepared it’s time to light the fire. Often a bit of blowing helps with this as we all know. And once you have some juicy embers glowing, use you poker make a good bed of embers make sure there is enough heat to handle the large wood. This can be very satisfying. The intense heat radiating into and over your body as the large wood is slowly entering into the now fully radiating chamber of combustion. Enjoy. The relationship between man and fire is ancient,primordial and virtually necessary to a meaningful life. There really is nothing I like better than the warm glow I get from keeping those embers burning. Yes there is nothing like that penetrating radiation that comes from a good wood burn. It gets right into the bones while the flames lick the inside of the firebox,caressing all that newly release energy in the firebox outwardly glowing. Ah yes then there are the olfactory qualities. I do love that earthy sometimes musky fragrance that a well lit fire adds to the room. I always sleep better when there’s a good wood fire in my home.
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ROFLMAO!!!
Robere! Nicely done! Way to take this to the next level! I had great fun reading that and as all good readers do, I tried to envisioned the exact sequence of events in my mind. I was doing well except for the children part. Somehow, children always prevent fires from starting in my household. Best to make sure they are nowhere around when I have to light my fire.
😉
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