Saturday, November 17, 2012

The Smoke Billows




                                                        It's that time of year
                                                        time to chug the fire
                                                        big billows of smoke
                                                        rising up near and far

                                                        Late in the evening
                                                        the sun is sinking low
                                                        every house in the distance
                                                        has a wood heater glow

                                                        Smoke covers the valley
                                                        a sure fire sign
                                                        when darkness takes over
                                                        the temps will decline

                                                        Frost is on the ground
                                                        waiting to greet the day
                                                        time to chug the fire
                                                        the smoke billows away

                                                        A big stack of wood
                                                        some kindling for show
                                                        the wood box is full
                                                        the wood heater is aglow

                                                        Susie Swanson, 2012

Even though we don't use wood for heat now, I can still look out over the valley at sundown and see the smoke rising from the wood heaters that some of my neighbors have.. It still brings back alot of memories of long ago when the whole valley would smoke up and everyone was chugging the fire or building a fire to knock off the chill.. There's not much smoke anymore as people have went to other forms of heat but I wouldn't mind in some ways having a fireplace or wood heater again.. We have an electric fireplace plus a furnace but I loved sitting by that old wood heater in the winter and listening to daddy and mama tell those old stories of long ago. Daddy could tell scary stories that would make the hair stand up on our neck. Mama always complained about the smoke and how it would black up her curtains and wall.. I remember us having to take down the curtains and clean the walls in the spring.. Spring cleaning was a hard task but we never stopped until every thing looked new.. I do the spring cleaning but it's not as bad as it used to be for sure. We washed and dried all the bedding and hung the clotheslines full.. On pretty sunshine days we'd drag the mattress out and let them sun  and the pillows too.. There's nothing that smells any more fresh than sheets that's been hung out to dry or mattress's and pillows that have been out in the sun all day. Those were the good old days for sure.

With the Thanksgiving week coming up  I will be taking a break from blogging with so much to get done.. I want to take this time to wish each one of you a Happy Thanksgiving and as we all gather together let's not forget to pray for the ones less fortunate and the troops that can't be with their families. They make it all possible for us to gather together and be with our families.. I have so many blessings to be thankful for I couldn't name all of them in a million years and I know you feel the same.. May God Bless Each One Of You..Susie 

24 comments:

  1. I always love the feel here when I come to sit and read your work. This one makes me feel like snuggling up to the fire and reading a good book. :) Happy Thanksgiving!!!

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  2. I enjoyed this post so much, Susie. I hope you have a blessed Thanksgiving.

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  3. I'm thankful for my furnace, but it is nothing like the warmth and coziness of a fire. I agree with the unbeatable freshness of line dried bedding! We sure don't work as hard as generations ago did, yet everyone seems so tired and stressed out anyway??
    Have a wonderful Holiday, and I will look forward to your return :)
    ~God bless~ Lisa

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    1. Thank you so much. I agree. Happy Thanksgiving to you and your family as well.

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  4. Nice poem, Susie! I love a wood burning fire but we have gas logs now for the convenience. Hope you have a wonderful Thanksgiving filled with many blessings!

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  5. The poem is beautiful Susie!! I hope you and your family have a Blessed Thanksgiving!!

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  6. We still heat with wood and I love the smell of burning cedar. Of course it's a lot of work keeping the wood pile going; we always say we get heat from the wood twice: once getting it in and again when it's burned.

    This was a splendid poem, Susie!

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    1. Thank you.. I never thought of it that way. I didn't mind at all to carry in the wood.. Happy Thanksgiving.

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  7. Beautiful Poem Mate!
    I love the smell of smoke and watching a fire burn. My daughter has one for heat... I love it.

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  8. Hi Susie. We still use wood heat at our old farmhouse. It's really cozy and warm in the very cold weather. We have neighbors who do the same, and our valley looks much like your picture. You left a nice comment on my blog back in early Sept. and for some reason I missed it till just now. I've started following you now - finally. I hope you and your family have a great Thanksgiving!

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    1. Awww. it's good to hear from you and thank you for following me.. I will enjoy following you as well.I miss those times of sitting by the fire.. Happy Thanksgiving to you and your family.

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  9. Lovely memories and poem, Susie. I hope you and your family have a wonderful Thanksgiving.

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    1. Thank you Daisy. The same to you and your family.

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  10. My grandparents used to heat their house with two fireplaces, one in the living room and one in their bedroom. I spent many nights on a roll-away bed in the their bedroom watching the warm glow of the logs. I can still remember how happy I was to be there!

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    1. I know it was so nice to sleep by that fire.. I love fireplaces, they are so cozy and warm..Happy Thanksgiving.

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  11. Susie, We burn wood in the fireplace all through winter. I get up set if Ted lets smoke into the room. He never worries about clean-up....it is up to me. I often wonder how would this house look, if I didn't follow him a round.....and believe me we have talked about this very thing many times. If everyone, woman, man, and child, would just pick up, clean up after themselves...what a great world it would be.Smiles, Susie

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    1. lol.. that's the way families are sometimes... It's a mess to keep clean but I love wood heat.Thank you.

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  12. This was beautiful, Susie... I could picture it in my mind! We use a woodstove for our heat and it is WONDERFUL. It does make a mess, though... but so much warmer than "electric" heat.
    Enjoy your break and I hope you and your family have a wonderful Thanksgiving!

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  13. Hi Susie! I wish that we had a fire place, or a wood stove for heating. I miss having a fire in the winter. We had a small fireplace in the home I grew up in back in California, but here in Georgia the house is built in such a way that there is no where we can put in a fireplace or chimney. But on the other hand the insolation in this newer house is very good and it stays pretty warm. We don't usually have to turn the heat on until it starts dropping into the 30's outside. I would always rather be chilly and put on a sweater than have the heater going all the time and drying out the air. But then I have never lived in a really really cold snowy climate. :) We had a wonderful weekend so far, it has been cozy and quiet. I baked pumpkin and chocolate pies yesterday and Tony delivered them to some friends. I am worn out today, but it was a lot of fun. I have been knitting and re-reading some of my Fannie Flagg books. I just love her style of writing. I wish that I could write like that with such a sense of humor and hope. Her writing just makes me feel good inside and out. :) I hope you have a lovely weekend ahead. With Love, Delisa :)

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