Sunday, March 10, 2019

The Last Fire of the Season

I lingered most about the fireplace, as the most vital part of the house.  Henry David Thoreau
It is March and the leaves are all budding outside with new growth.  The citrus trees and other fruit trees are blooming.  The weather threw us a curve ball, though, and we had freezing weather two days in a row last week.  It gave us an opportunity to light up a fire in the fireplace for the last time until maybe later this year in November.  We enjoy lighting a fire in the fireplace. 
Chop your own firewood and it will warm you twice.  - Henry Ford
Sitting in front of a roaring fireplace on a cold night is a relaxing event.  As I think on it, it is more than the warmth of the fire that makes it so appealing.  Just staring into a burning fire, listening to the fire crackle has been shown by researchers to be so calming that it reduces blood pressure by 5%.  I truly believe this as I always feel relaxed sitting in front of the fire with family.
The thing about it is, that a lot of work went into making the fire.  First, we don't use a gas jet to light our fire.  We use lighter pine that we've chopped into kindling.  The embedded sap in the pine lights easily and quickly starts the oak burning.  The oak was grown on our land and cut down and split into firewood.  Once the fire has consumed the wood, the ashes will be broadcast in the garden or trench composted, where the nutrients from the ashes will enrich the soil.  Wood ash contains calcium carbonate which will increase the pH level of the soil.  It also contains potash and potassium.  It is a big circle.  The ashes from the trees grown on the land will, in turn, spur new growth.
In a way, the last fire of the season is also a sad time.  In South Louisiana, our spring is very short.  Our summers are very long.  Before dwelling on the hot and humid months ahead of us, we'll enjoy the last fire of the season.

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