Starting fires FAST

I just got home from work. 10-12-14 hour days. I don’t mind unless it’s slow. It’s SLOW. I mind. The weather our industry relies on to grow plants and sell them has been uncooperative this spring. As you know today was not conducive for doing this and that in the yard. Despite that, hardy souls did come in and bought trees. Damn cold though, and right now my face is windburned and raw and the rest of my body is not comfortable... wood stove hasn’t warmed up the house yet.

Instructions for starting a fire FAST:

place flatish pieces on the bottom, bigger pieces on the sides. Bark facing away from the center

Cardboard goes on top with the previous fire’s charcoal on top of that. Curve the cardboard to conform to the cupping of the wood on bottom.

Put smallish pieces on top to form a roof. If the coals are still hot they light the cardboard without a match. If not, light the cardboard accordingly.

Tonight I did not need a match- it started right up. This is true with rain wet wood as well. Rain wet wood burns immediately also- the rain is irrelevant.

Within three minutes of this construction the fire was off and running and my bones are about to be comforted by my incredible wood burning stove. My July gas bill is $45.00. My January gas bill is- ummmmm- $45.00. Wood heat ain’t for everyone, but once you have discovered the joy of wood heat, you’ll never ever go back to any other source of heat.

Peetee sniffing and merrying-up the kids who were totally bored with their parent’s choice to nursery shop until Peetee joined them. They wanted to leave until Peetee showed up, then they didn’t want to go!

She impressed the kids with her airborne leap up on top of this skid of potting soil, then with her curious consoling and leaning into their caresses.

Peetee oversaw the loading of a “little twist” flowering cherry today.

Thanks to her, the tree made it into the truck unharmed!

She was nowhere to be found though when Bart needed his plum loaded. Slackard!!!

Somehow everything went well, even without her.

Pink dogwood sold today so patio dwellers can enjoy its year-round attributes.

Robin eggs discovered today in a green giant arborvitae. Stupid bird. Right next to the path. That tree ain’t for sale till nobody lives there any more!