Sunlight

I spent part if the morning putting Victor's woodpile in order. He asked me to put the older logs on top of the pile and I was happy to help. There's something about stacking wood that I like better than anything else.

Later Victor put together a great fire. I think it's one of his favorite things to do. Something that connects him to his place here in Maine in a visceral, physical, active way. I guess it's connected to the enjoyment I get stacking wood, maybe the same thing.

Looking at the fire this time of year is amazing. An experience in reflection and transmogrification. The light around us is fading but the fire burns bright. The trees have lost most if their leaves but the ones that remain seem to be in fire. The branches and trunks, though bare, are alive.

And the fire? It's captured sunlight, gathered through decades of photosynthesis, stored in the woody tissue of the tree. Inert until it's introduced to fire. Through combustion the energy of sunlight is released to us providing light and heat in a controlled burst of flame.