If you asked me whether we had a fireplace I’d have told you no. It’s so old and so long disused that I’d totally forgotten about it. That was until one day when our neighbour across the road was getting a tree stump removal service. They’d had a tree lopped down years ago and the stump remained all these years. I guess they thought it looked pretty unsightly so they finally called to get it removed. I heard the noise from my house and went outside to have a look.

The company that do stump grinding in Brisbane had this huge machine specifically for stump removal. It was fascinating to watch. At the end of it, the workers offered us the scraps from the removal as mulch. We didn’t have much need for mulch because we already had bought some not long before. Then they also offered us some free firewood, because they get tonnes of it in their trade while tree felling. I instantly thought I had no need for it, but then realised that I actually do have a fireplace and that it would be pretty nice to have some wood burning in winter. I took the guy up on his offer for free firewood and got a couple of cubic meters of the stuff.

It’s been so nice at home since acquiring the firewood. Brisbane can get a little chilly in winter, despite popular views of the place being warm all year. Regardless of the warmth provided by the fire, it’s an attractive centrepiece to the living room. It’s very soothing to sit beside the fireplace while reading a book or even finishing off some work in the wee hours of the morning. In times gone by, fireplaces also provided a visual attraction equivalent to modern day TVs. I’m so glad we got out fireplace up and running after all these years.