It’s that time of year. We are getting ready to get our first frost this week in Fayetteville, NC. It’s time to dust off the fireplace and get it ready. Do you even use a fireplace? I love to see logs burning! It certainly adds a warmth and ambiance to the room. You have a choice now in the type of fireplace that you install in your home. There are still die hard, split the logs, natural wood burning fireplaces. Nothing crackles and smells as good as a real wood burning fireplace. But of course, you have to have a source of real wood, preferably seasoned and from the right kind of tree. So, you either have to cut wood or buy it.

For those that do not want to haul wood in from the outside, you have two other choices. With the click of a remote, you can ignite your gas or electric logs. Gas logs have become very popular with their realistic look and real flames. All you have to buy is the gas. And then, there came the convenience of electric fireplaces. They are becoming popular with builders. Simple to install, simple to operate. Not the realistic look that I prefer. I have to tell you that I am very partial to real wood burning fireplaces. I love to use the poker and rearrange the logs. I love the smell of the wood burning. But, as in so many other things, we have compromised for convenience.

Later this week, when I get up to a light frost, I will light my gas logs and enjoy the flames and the heat for a few minutes. And then I will turn it off and leave the house for the day. But for a few minutes, I will have my fire! What is your preference?