“Age appears to be best in four things; old wood best to burn, old wine to drink, old friends to trust, and old authors to read.”

— Francis Bacon

Certain forward-thinking friends of mine are chopping and stacking wood this summer so that they can burn it in autumn.  They’re even posting pictures of their woodpiles on Facebook.  (You see what rural Virginia does to transplanted New Yorkers?)

Keep at it, I say.  I don’t have a fireplace myself, but one of my favorite things about fall in Virginia is walking down the street and detecting the scent of burning oak.