Warm hearts

Today’s fire is brought to you by Soren.  The boys have decided it is their job to build a fire each evening.  

We are currently experiencing a “polar vortex” and ice accumulation has had school canceled today and tomorrow. There’s actually not a day above freezing on the 7 day forecast. We did not split load up the firewood before the weather hit.  Consequently, any split logs we do have are coated in 1/4 inch of ice, save 3 but huge branch chunks on the porch from the tree we felled last spring, that will burn nicely but are much too large and not quite seasoned enough to start a fire with.  

I must have said “it’s so cold today!” Too many times, because Soren bundled up to go “check out the ice” and I spied him carrying a few the communal bonfire logs off the island to front porch.  Part of me wanted to explain that they’re wet and frozen, and even bringing them to the covered porch won’t thaw them until the temp outside is warm enough to melt ice. 

Then he walked in with a tiny Soren sized load of 3 little dry logs. He put one of his homemade fire starters in, stacked them up, and he and Corbin proudly built a fire.  

“Where did you get those little dry logs?” I asked. 

“From the neighbor’s house!” Be beamed.   

Yep. My kid saw the cord of dry seasoned firewood neatly stacked on JJ’s porch, decided she could spare a few logs, and shamelessly knocked on the next door neighbor’s door and asked to “borrow” some logs.  

Once they had a fire going, they brought in frozen logs on a towel and set them out in front of the fire. The ice melted off in chunks and dropped everywhere, and those logs were still damp and smoked a bit when they were added to the fire. Eventually the coals were glowing and the fire was hot enough to add one of the giant dry logs from the front porch. My neighbor gave us the number for their firewood guy and we have a delivery coming hopefully Friday, and Soren said he will then “replace” the logs he bummed off our neighbors!  Bless these boys for not wanting their mama to be cold.   We curled up in front of it after dinner and I read 50 pages of a book to them.  They  went to bed two hours ago, but I’m still parked here, warming up my bones, and I’ll be here until the last flame goes out. Thanks, boys!