Bugs in the Birch Tree

Is fire magic?  I think it is.  It is certainly more than "rapid oxidation of a material in the chemical process of oxidation, releasing heat, light and various reaction products." Sitting and gazing at a wood fire casts a tight spell.  This time of year the human creature longs for it.

Glued together and tied with raffia

Last summer my sister undertook a long-standing project:  cut down the buggy, dead birch trees.  She sawed them into tidy lengths that would make them ideal for fire wood.  One reason she was slow in removing these trunks is that the bark on birch trees, dead or alive, is just plain beautiful.  The little pile of wood that accumulated had tints, shades and hues of splendid variety.  It would make fine fire wood, but  once the birch tree was ashes, it would no longer produce heat or light.  It was done.

Flames to add warmth to any room

Giving part of this birch tree a new life is now checked off the Things I get to do today.  My sister and I copied an idea (nothing wrong with being smart enough to know a good thing when someone else had the idea first) for making candle holders.

Let there be light.  Let there be heat.  Let the birch tree live on.  Little bugs, you didn't win.  If it can't grow, it will glow.