The chill is back but the fire is warm

The weather forecast for yesterday started out with a predicted one to three inches of snow followed by a wintry mix. What we got was about, maybe, an inch of sleet. Snow or sleet, the end result was the same. Nothing much was accomplished here on the hillside unless you consider drinking coffee a viable use of time. 

This morning brings the promise of a bit of sunshine. I was awake early, reading a piece of fluff on the Kindle. Sitting quietly beside the window with a cup of coffee and a book is my favorite way to be one with the coming day. It gets me started by instilling calmness. 

I've been waiting for a day like today for several weeks. Having a wooded lot, there is always a brush pile that needs to be burned. Burning requires careful consideration. Weather and available time need to coincide. I need to 1) be home for the day, 2) the brush pile to be of sufficient size to burn quickly and hot, 3) it must be raining or the ground must be covered by snow or sleet, and 4) there must be minimal wind. 

Burning is never a chore. There's something primitive and pleasing to sit near a hot fire when the air and ground are cold. A dancing wood fire is fascinating to watch. We get a lot of enjoyment sitting by the woodstove, too, as ours has a glass panel. It's a simple pleasure. 

* * *

Rural living is often governed by the weather. Burning the brush pile didn't happen today. Once I went outside, I determined there was just too strong a wind blowing. For the sake of safety, and not burning down my house, I decided to put it off until another day. And that day will come soon enough. 

The Lady of Holly Tree Manor