Wood Burning Joys

We have heated our domicile solely by burning wood, for over 30 years now. I have enjoyed the many satisfactions of wood burning, but recently read an article that added one more pleasure to the process. But first, let me count the ways that I find heating the house with a wood stove fulfilling.

First, gathering wood is excellent physical exercise. I think it was Thoreau who ticked off the numerous times that wood burning warms the body and soul: when you cut it, when you haul it, when you split and stack it, and finally, when you burn it. Being well into my Social Security years, cutting and collecting wood helps keep me young. (Well, OK, it does force this aging body to do hard work, which is therapeutic.)

Second, we save lots of money over conventional heating methods. We are fortunate to be surrounded by woods and our logs come free. Just the cost of some sweat labor and a chain saw are the price we pay. 

Third, wood is a renewable resource. Trees are continually growing around here. We're not burning nonrenewable fossil fuels.

Fourth, there is the satisfaction of being self-sufficient and free of being forced to rely on the whims of the volatile fossil fuel markets. There is something important about holding onto one's autonomy these days, through developing some proficiency of being able to take care of yourself. We can't depend on governments and businesses to be as reliable as they once were.

Fifth, all these years of handling wood, as I cut, carry, split, and stuff it into the stove, have given me the pleasure of coming to know and appreciate wood...even revere it and the trees that provide it. I love the smell of freshly-cut red oak and the way its straight grain yields to my splitting maul. I love being able to cut up a hardwood tree that a strong wind has toppled—saving me the danger of felling it myself—and using its heat value before it has a chance to begin rotting. I love being in the woods, looking up at those majestic trees, feeling a deep reverence for their great size and longevity. They both dwarf and provide for me.

If these weren't enough reasons for enjoying burning wood, I recently added another one to my list. An article in a magazine described how the wood stove has traditionally been a focal point of the home. Warmth radiates from it—filling the interior space with cheer. People cuddle up to a stove. They gather round it and enjoy each other's company. Wood stoves literally build community!

In contrast, a furnace relegates the source of warmth to the basement, or hides it in a closet. We feel no coziness with a furnace and have little understanding of or familiarity with it. There's a thermostat on the wall—put there by an expert, whose operation we only dimly comprehend. We listen to it click noisily on and off. When it suddenly quits working, we call another expert in a panic to come fix it. We have no real involvement with or understanding of a furnace.

 

What have we lost in trading our wood stoves for furnaces? Some people would say that we've thankfully lost messiness, inconvenience, and a sore back. Good riddance! I think there are some tangible benefits to burning wood, however. In fact, I've just listed six of them! That said, I have to admit to looking forward now to some warm days, when the windows are open and those balmy breezes waft through. (Now I labor in the garden.)