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Fires bring warmth, conversation
(by Barbara Christian - January 25, 2012)
WINDOW ON MAIN STREET, BY BARBARA CHRISTIAN
Fires bring warmth, conversation
We can only imagine the reaction of the caveman who discovered fire. He must have had a range of emotions, from awe-struck to fearful. Ah, but what delight he must have felt when the warmth began to permeate his woolly mammoth onesy.
Not much has changed in the way we view fire each time we set a purposeful flame to a carefully arranged woodpile.
Aside from the soul-enriching warmth it gives, a good fire can put us in a hypnotic, Zen-like state so complete it will lower your diastolic and systolic numbers without the aid of Lisinopril.
Hearth fires remain awe inspiring, welcoming, warming. Just ask anyone who actively uses his fireplace, and you will get 15 minutes of the glories of the hearth. If that person happens to be a fanatic on the subject, as some tend to be, he will wax on indefinitely.
One of these subjects is, which is best -- fireplace, fireplace insert or wood stove? They all have their charms. Choosing will take time and study.
There is just no end to the things you can talk about when you have a fireplace. And forget the Boy Scout manual; everyone's got his own method for building the perfect fire.
It begins with what kind of kindling, if any, should be used. My father and his generation subscribed to tightly wadded newspaper under the logs. That was it. A lump of coal may have been added for oomph, or he'd ax off a slice or two of the main log and use that for starters.
But the paper-and-wood combo was tough and particularly so if the moisture content of the wood was high, leading the fire to extinguish itself.
Wood itself is one of those subjects that can bring heated debate among fire builders. How long should it "age," for instance. Then there is the question of soft wood versus hardwood. Soft woods burn hotter and faster, but there's the sap issue. Hardwood lasts longer but burns "cooler."
Fireplace purists look down on the artificial logs that are a surefire bet. Where is the alchemy in this lazy person's method?
Wood is not an issue for some fire builders, those who own heating stoves which use pellets. More efficient? Yes. But where's the romance?
How about tending the fire? Which is better, a blow poke or bellows? Some purists get down on all fours and huff and puff at the embers. How about kindling the fire? If dad-style wadded newspaper is not an option, should you use fat-wood or chemical-saturated fire-starter bricks?
It doesn't end when the fire is roaring. There is etiquette to follow. The unwritten rule is that he who starts the fire tends the fire, and no one else may touch "his fire" unless directed to do so by the fire originator. To mess with another person's fire is to question his or her abilities.
We can't imagine living in a home without a fireplace. In fact, seven of the nine houses we've lived in since birth had fireplaces. It has always topped the "must-have" list whenever we were looking for a new place to live.
And even though it's been a while since we have bought or sold a home, we're pretty sure Realtors still hold to the tenet that having a fireplace will increase a property's value. Personally, given the choice, we'd rather have a fireplace than a "great room," maybe even a garage.
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