The Honest Courtesan

I’m not quite ready to start using the stove just yet; as you can see in this picture, the shutters aren’t yet closed, though I’ll be putting them up next week.  However, earlier in the day I took this, I had used silicone sealant to close up a nearly-invisible gap between the roof jack and the stovepipe which was allowing a small drip directly onto the top of the stove whenever it rained; I only discovered it recently because it hasn’t really rained between the time I installed the chimney and this month.  Anyhow, once I got that sealed I figured I’d go ahead and make a fire for the first time; the fireplace in my first house was of the traditional open variety, so I wanted to figure out how to build a fire in this stove in such a way that I could light it, close the door, and then leave it alone without having to mess with it again until it was time to add another log.  My first attempt, pictured here, took about an hour to get going; however, I quickly figured out what I was doing wrong, and on my next try the following evening I achieved my goal, and the fire was blazing merrily within ten minutes of my lighting the kindling paper and closing the door.  That evening saw the realization of a vision I’ve had for the space from the very beginning: I found myself in the hot tub on an autumn night, with a fire going and music playing, the mood lighting overhead, and it started to rain heavily enough for us to hear it on the metal roof.  Next time, I’ll remember to fix cocktails before bathing, but other than that it was just lovely, and I really felt all my hard work and expense had at long last paid off.