Fuel for the Fire

CandyCorn Bromeliad, Norfolk Botanical Gardens.  Copyright 2012: singeronthesand

Is vine wood ever used for anything?

I don’t think so.  At best it’s good for fuel.

Ezekiel 15:3-4

As a child, you never think about what it must cost your parents to maintain a home for you.  Everything is just there – heat from the wall/floor vents in the winter, air-conditioning in the summer, lights in the darkness, refrigeration for food, bread baking in the oven.  Obviously the source of energy has to come from somewhere, but when you are young, it’s not really on your radar.

I vividly remember the days that Dad would come running in the house, yelling at Mom for her car keys.  There was another gas war down on Grand Avenue, and the price had fallen to 25¢ per gallon.  I never really knew what a big deal that was until the day that gasoline went over 99¢ a gallon and I thought the world was coming to an end!  Never would I have dreamed that it would go to $3.27 a gallon (what I paid yesterday).  The prognosticators are saying that it will finally go over $4.00 a gallon this spring.  I hope that they are wrong, but that is probably wishful thinking.

I decided to utilize my wood stove insert this winter in order to save on energy costs.  I know next to nothing about building and maintaining fires, so it has been a challenging project!  I’m learning about the different kinds of wood – what burns “hot” and what burns slowly.  I’ve never tried vine wood, but will trust Ezekiel’s judgment that it’s only good for the fire.  Through trial and error, I will eventually learn how to make a good fire and keep it going.  If you see me collecting sticks and branches in the neighborhood, please ignore me – I’m just out of kindling.