Warmth.....

I've often been at the receiving end of many a pisstake about my rubbish log burning skills ( you know who you are!) so you can imagine my sheer joy when on the first day when I lit the log burner when Maisie and I arrived at the house, that not only did I get it going with 1 match, but also without the aid of fire lighters, unlike one of my Norwegian neighbours we met today who happily tossed in a fire lighter pouch ( in fairness if I'd had one to hand I probably would have done the same thing ;) ) . 

So this happiness was only heightened about 30 minutes later when Maisie said the fire was making a strange whistling noise?! .....you mean I actually managed to get it hot enough to boil a kettle on top!! Indeed I did! 

In the house we have a log burner in every room, ranging from the utilitarian  jotul stove (the first lit!) through to some absolutely beautiful ornate stacked flue burners. 

I also found an old stove in the barn and 3 more stored in the basement so that makes a total of 10 wood burners! At least we will never get cold! ( provided I can get enough wood to feed them) 

The most ornate wood burner was located in the shoe making workshop which we are due to turn into 2 bedrooms, so we had to move it, which on turn meant dismantling it.....eek. Well I carefully prised the top section apart to not only discover 150 year old soot ( lots and lots of soot) but also the every section was made up of individual   pieces......help.....I think is what I cried as it started to collapse before my eyes, my well practised plan of numbering all the parts to remember where they went a long past ideal by this point. Suddenly, child hood memories of dismantling things like old clocks, watches and valve radios as a kid came flashing back as did the memory that I never actually managed to get any of them back together! Suffice to say, said wood burner is neatly stacked and was luckily photographed prior to its hasty demise and fortunately i am no longer sneezing out soot! 

 In our first week,we have been welcomed by the neighbours and everyone we have met!.........and that has been a warmth to rival that of my little wood burner. :). 

Back to the UK tonight..... 

Photo of the dismantled burner sat next to our bedroom upright burner (with a fox on the front and oven section on top!)