Late Saturday afternoon, Honey and I drove up one to the top corner of our fair valley. There’s a place there with cut wood stacked as high as I could imagine a log stack having any integrity. We pulled into the lot. We both expected (though neither of us had expressed this expectation to the other one) “surly log guys.” Instead we were greeted by friendly log guys, who discussed our wood options–citrus, eucalyptus, mixed, etc. We went with eucalyptus because I requested the longest-burning wood they had.
“It’s a little hard to get going, but once you do, it will burn forever”
The FJ was all loaded up (its rubber interior was a comfort once I looked at all the logs we had bought). Honey and I got the wood back to the log holder using a tarp. I didn’t fall down, even once. Che il miracolo!
There are those who have not lived in Southern California who will wonder about our acquisition of wood for the fireplace.
We’re deep into Santa Ana season. Usually the Santa Anas are dry hot winds. This year, they have taken on a new quality. They are cold and persistent. As usual, I have perma-headache. And my nostrils have lost all dampness. Bleedy motherfucking membranes.
So, as the cities around us burn (literally), Honey and I light hard-to-keep-going fires in our fireplace in the middle of one of the non-fire zone in our region.
I have discovered one thing that will get that eucalyptus to burn all night. Speaking, as I was, of miracles…may I present the JavaLog? They’re a little pricey, but seem worth it to me. I got mine at Whole Foods. Environmentally friendly, these things burn hot and long and when cradled amongst even the most stubborn logs, and will promote flames with the most stubborn wood. Now if only they could do something about my nose and head. I suppose, if the choice is between miracoli piccoli and nessuni miracoli, I’ll go with the small ones every time.
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