National Federation of the Blind of Alabama
Wood that Warms Twice
by
J. Michael Jones
Growing up in the country in Butts County, Georgia we heated the house with a wood burning fireplace during the winter months. The fireplace, along with the television, was located in the living room of our three bedroom house and when a good fire was burning it would heat the entire house. As a matter of fact, the living room would become so hot that it would be hard to stay in it.
Saturday mornings brought great joy for us kids, cartoons on the TV starting at 6 AM There were only four channels for cartoons; ABC, CBS, NBC, and public TV. It would be a race to the TV between my brother and me because the first one to the TV would get to chose which channel to watch. But with choice came responsibility. The first one up was also confronted with a living room that was cold, very cold in the winter, so it would be that kid's job to build the fire.
I liked Bugs Bunny and was always glad to choose, even if it meant building the fire. Once the television was turned to the right channel I would take a shovel from the hearth and begin removing the ashes from the previous night's fire. Once that was complete I would place a few sheets of newspaper between the fire dogs. Fire dogs are what we called the two pedestals that the wood rested upon. I would then go outside into the cold to begin getting the wood. First I would get the lighter, which is very dried pine wood usually gathered from an old dead pine tree stump. Once the lighter was laid on the newspaper then back outside I'd go to gather the kindling. Kindling is small sticks gathered from hardwood trees; this would fill up the space between the fire dogs and was laid on top of the lighter. Next I would bring in the big wood. First the biggest log from a hickory tree would be toted in to put at the back of the fireplace on the fire dogs, followed by two other logs each smaller than the other with the smallest of the three resting in the front of the fire place on the fire dogs.
Now it was time to get the matches and light the paper and hope that the lighter would catch fire and light the kindling which would, in turn, gradually start the logs burning. Sometimes this process of lighting went very easily and sometimes it took lots more paper and lots of trying. I would take the match, strike it on the hearth, reach into the bottom of the fireplace, feel for some paper and put the match to it. Then I would gently blow where I had lit the paper. Once I heard the paper begin to burn, sounding like paper being rustled, I would continue blowing until the lighter caught. I new this by the increase in heat and a sizzling sound. Often I would put my hand in the fireplace to feel for the areas of heat while the fire was starting. If all of the area was not warm then I would light some more paper and place it in the areas that had no heat. Once I heard the kindling begin to crackle I knew that I was home free because it would soon start the big logs sizzling which would start them drying out and burning. When the fire was going well I would periodically use a fire poker to shift and adjust the logs on the fire dogs. I knew there were three logs and I knew where they were because I had put them there. So using the poker to feel and look at the fire place I would roll the middle log so that the burning side would be up and periodically would do the same to all of the logs.
Later There would come a time to add more logs, and I would add logs based upon which log was burned. If it was the middle log then I would get a middle size log. The big back log was replaced less frequently than the others and would take careful planning on my part. Once the big back log had burned down to a smaller size it would have to be moved forward on the fire dogs to make room for a fresh big log, which meant taking the fire poker and smashing one of the front log so that it would fall down in between the fire dogs. Using the fire poker I could feel the strength and consistency of the front logs so that I new which one to smash in to peaces by feeling for its weak point. Then I would take the poker and feel for the big log on the back. Once I found it I would put the poker under it and gently move it forward on the fire dogs. ,while I was doing all of this the fire was still raging, I could hear sparks flying and feel intense heat which were all good signs for me that everything was going just fine. Having moved the big log forward I would then reach with the poker to feel for the empty space at the rear of the fire place so that I would have a mental image of where to throw the new, big, back log. Putting down the poker and picking up the new big, back log that I had brought in from outside, I would set my foot on the hearth for balance and orientation and with hands on the ends of the log I would listen to the fire for one last point of reference and lean forward and throw the big log towards the back in to the space I had created for it. I do mean throw, because the fire at this point would be much too hot to slowly place or gently lay the log. When I heard the familiar solid thud I knew things were right and that, with a few adjustments for comfort with the poker, I could resume my TV watching.
I never found being completely blind to be a barrier to fire building or TV watching. I do mean completely blind, I can see nothing, not dark, not light. This fact never stopped me from keeping warm or working hard to get warm. The firewood that was gathered from the carport would need replenishing about every week. My brother, father and I would load up in the truck with the chain saws and axes and head for the woods to cut down a tree or two for the week's wood. A big hickory or oak tree would be located and cut down with the chain saw. Often we would use an ax to do the same which was something that I liked to do. Standing beside a tree I would take the ax and swing it in to the trunk as hard as I could. This first swing would be straight on and I would have to force the ax out of the tree to make my second swing. The second swing would be swung with the ax blade at a slight angle which would make a chip fly out of the tree. I knew I had made a good cut when I heard the chip fly by me and land in the weeds. I was taught that the first swing was to cut and the second swing was to remove what the first swing had cut. Using this technique repeatedly I would get in a rhythm and could adjust my aim by the sound of the ax hitting the tree. If it sounded a little weak I knew to adjust until I heard that solid thud and continue until I heard the splitting and shaking of the tree. Then it was time to shout out the warning-"TIMBER".
I also figured out ways to use a chain saw to cut down trees or saw logs. The chain saw is a loud intimidating tool; it's scary. If one allows the noise and the intimidation to occupy one's mind then the task is lost. I knew I could conquer the fear and I had confidence in myself. I knew that I could manage the saw just like everyone else. I would take the big saw, which was a "bow-saw" meaning it had an extra large blade and a big motor. I would first set the saw in front of the tree or log with the motor turned off. Then I would take the saw and move it to the log or tree as though the motor were running. This technique would help me gage the movements and distance and would also allow me to correct any mistakes in my motion. Then I would put the saw back down in the same place on the ground and pull the starter. With the saw idling on the ground I moved my hands from the controls or the handles. I kept my body behind the saw so that I knew I could not hurt myself. I would make the same movements that I had practiced with the saw turned off except for this time when I felt the blade touch the bark of the tree I would squeeze the throttle and begin sawing. The saw had to be at full throttle to cut. At the point I put the saw to the wood and squeezed the throttle1 I was committed to finishing. I knew when the job was finished because the pressure would go away when the blade came completely through.
With the trees cut down and sawed into logs we would carry the logs to the truck and take them home. Once home we would have to split the logs in to appropriate sizes to fit the fire place. Again it was expected that I would do my share of the work. Using a sledge hammer and a wedge I would split large logs in to fractional parts. I would take the sledge hammer in one hand and the wedge in the other and place the wedge in the center of one end of a log. I would begin tapping the wedge with the hammer until it was seated in to the wood. Then I would take one step back from the log and swing the sledgehammer over my shoulder and down towards the wedge to drive the wedge deep down in to the log. Some times I would miss but I would just adjust my aim and try again until the job was done. When I got older and stronger I could accomplish the same task with just an ax.
I was blind, but was also expected to carry my own share of the work. The expectations were in place and all that was left was for me to figure out how I was going to live up to them. This is why I used a chain saw, swung an ax and split wood. I figured out that by using my hearing, being unafraid and being determined to master the task, my blindness was not an obstacle. I had a good mind, good hands, arms that work and a strong back, so there was no reason that I shouldn't work hard and stay warm.