Chop Chop

When my floors were tiled, I also had a wood stove installed. You see...I have a yard full of wood that's just been begging for a purposeful existence. About a year and a half ago, I had to have three full grown globe willow trees taken down because they were dying. The wood was then cut to length and stacked in the back yard. Now the wood is ready for splitting, the stove is installed, and I'm awaiting the winter months with great excitement.

I grew up in a home that was heated by a chimenea in the winter. Granted, that was in Tucson, AZ, so it's not like we had to use it much. I grew up loving the radiant heat of a fire on a cold morning, the crackle of the wood, the smell of smoke, and the mesmerizing flicker and dance of the flames. More than anything I love to build and tend the fire. There is something irresistably intriguing about poking around in the fire and watching the subtle changes in the airflow and combustion...watching the flames smother suddenly, then leap back to life with a little nudge and a puff of air.

There's something else I love about heating with fire...chopping wood. I love to chop wood and I have just begun the process today. The willow is nicely dried and ripe for splitting, so I took a whack at it today...actually quite a few whacks, though I stopped short of fatigue, fearing that my back would punish me tomorrow. Willow is very accommodating, easy to chop. I have a heavy splitting maul and long arms, so it doesn't take much strength on my part to get plenty of impact. It's the focus I like, the precision, and the crack when I hit my mark. I probably enjoy golf for the same reason, and maybe tennis too. There's just something satisfying about it.