So last year Cory’s family moved out to Utah from New Hampshire, and they built a house out here. Their old house had a wood burning fireplace, but their new one is gas, so they didn’t need their pokers and things anymore. Which was great for us, because we bought a house with a wood burning fireplace.

So yesterday we drove up to Cory’s parents house, and picked up the pokers and things. We left pretty early, because the weather looked a little bit threatening, but decided to stop at Smith’s on the way home to get some firewood so we could light our first fire. We’d already bought a Creosote Sweeping Log (which basically cleans out your chimney and helps prevent unwanted fires), but you were supposed to burn a real fire first, then the CSL, so we needed wood.

When we went in to Smith’s, it was just cold outside, and a little overcast. When we came out maybe 8 minutes later, however, there was probably an inch of hailish-snow-rain on the roads. We got home as quickly as we safely could, and proceeded to start our fire. We were able to burn our first fire, and then we started the CSL. I kid you not–not 5 minutes after we read the instructions for and started the CSL, our power went out, for 3 hours. Normally we would’ve been stuck in a cold house with just some candle light, and one tiny flashlight (which, thank heavens, we had also needed in the fire starting process (to look up the chimney) so I had already found down in the basement where Jake left it…). Instead of that rather miserable and boring scenario, however, we had a happy warm little house (or at least front room) with a cosy fire to provide both light and warmth. Way to go, Cory! Good call on the fire.

This was my first wood fire ever (besides at camp and stuff) so I took a few pics for you–sorry they’re a little blurry, but they were taken without a flash by firelight, so the exposure took a few seconds…

If you’re wondering about the weird way the fire seems to be shooting out to the sides, it’s because of the CSL, we think–the fire burned really big and bright while that was going. It calmed down some when we were using normal logs.

Doesn’t our house look warm and cosy? I love it! I also took a picture of this scene with the flash on, and you would not believe the mess it was. I much prefer this picture.