Wood stove memories

Oh, how I miss our old woodstove! I miss the smell and the warm heat that used to radiate off of it while it kept our small home on the lake warm. The snap, crackle and pop of the wood spitting as I fell asleep is one of my favorite childhood memories.

This one is similar to the one we had.

Of course in those days it was my Father that rose early each morning and stirred any remaining embers and started a new fire before my Mother and I got out of bed to start our days. I was sure glad he did because our floor would be icy cold in the mornings. Mom would be the one to stoke the fire during the day while Dad was at work and I was at school.

Our home was a remodeled summer cottage with no foundation under it. It had a crawl space that my Dad and I would bank up with snow each winter to try to keep some of the heat from escaping. It was small with 2 bedrooms at the back and had an open living room/kitchen/dining room in the main part that held the woodstove. When it was really cold, we used a space heater for the back of the house.

When my parents purchased the cottage, it was in dire need of remodelling and we spent many years transforming it into the home I remember so well…but more about that in another post.

The house we’re in now has baseboard heaters that only throw a bit of heat which then goes straight up the wall only to escape out the windows they're under.

This is the one I'd like to have someday.

For now, I have an electric fireplace that I’ve put in the kitchen by my computer desk so I can sit and watch the dancing flames – it throws a bit of heat too.  I’ll have to just settle for that and enjoy the peace and warmth of the woodstove when I go out to the ice hut for winter fishing – which I hope will be soon!

My electric one in my kitchen at Christmas.