The first fire of Fall

The following column first appeared in Oct of 2012 but the message is till true today. One point of nostalgia for me though is the mention of my most favorite dog we’ve ever had, Ozzie , who died a few years ago and is now buried at the base of a big pecan tree on the farm right next to my old restored Ford 5000 tractor…..a fitting resting place for him because he loved running around this old farm right up to his last days.

I woke up early this morning to a chilly 52° and couldn’t resist building the first fire of fall in our old fireplace and I promise you there was no disappointment! The chimney drew well, the flames took hold, the wood crackled and the warmth began to fill the room. Then, as I took Ozzie, my pet boxer, outside for his morning walk, I could smell the wonderful aroma of a wood fire from the chimney. For sure, there’s nothing like a real wood fire and the first one of fall is as welcome as the first snow of winter in the north.

This particular fire was especially gratifying to me since it is the first, not only of fall, but in the fireplace in the old farmhouse we’re rebuilding. Actually, the farmhouse has four fireplaces, and I just re-opened the fourth in the master bedroom last night to satisfy my wife’s prompting (polite for nagging) and both of our curiosities. When the house was originally built in 1932, they were the chief, and I believe the only, source of heat. Also, on a side note, we can’t find any signs of original “inside plumbing” from when the house was first built either; maybe that will be another column for another day.

A decade ago I was very sick and it took me a couple years to fully recover. I thought at the time, that I didn’t want to cut firewood anymore and carry it to the woodstove where we were living. And so we moved to a more convenient house that had a set gas logs retrofitted in the chimney. It was and is still beautiful, and easy (it doesn’t get any easier than starting and stopping the fire with a remote control just like the TV). While I enjoyed wonderful convenience, I didn’t realize how much I missed the real wood fire. I think those fires are part of the phenomenal success of the Cracker Barrel restaurant chain that seniors like so well too.

Since regaining my health I have been longing for the incomparable feel, sound and warmth that only a real wood fire can provide. That yearning was clinched after reading Ronald Reagan’s biography. I was so impressed with how he always wanted to be out in the woods of his ranch cutting firewood, mending fences and riding his horse. The picture I got from that book as well as his personal diary was 180 degrees from the picture the media used to give us of this wonderful president.

Somewhere I read that wood is the most efficient heating fuel of all because it heats you five times: 1. when you cut it, 2. when you split it, 3. when you stack it, 4. when you burn it and 5. when you take out the ashes. Can’t get any more efficient than that! Hope you get to sit by some real wood fires this fall that warm your heart, soul and memories as well as your cold feet!

See you next week!

Bill Milby, CSA, is a Certified Senior Advisor and a Director of Visiting Angels® of Macon, a non-medical, living assistance service for seniors. If you have questions or comments about this column you can reach him at william.mercylink@gmail.com or search for us at www.facebook.com/VisitingAngelsMacon.

HHJ News