Poets win!

post #233
       Biggest news in Kentucky this week??  Well, just today, maybe, it is that our University of Kentucky basketball team still hasn't lost a game this season.  However, in writing and reading and poetry circles, it is definitely the great news that a name often mentioned on this blog,  GEORGE ELLA LYON,  has been appointed Poet Laureate of Kentucky!!  Clicking on her name will bring up a wonderful write-up about her, and the photo they use is very good, even if I didn't take it myself.  Congratulations to George Ella  -- and to the UK basketball team.  Such happy news.
         This week has needed its happy news, since

• I went five days without the internet, until 11 a.m. today,
• which led me to notice a few hours ago that our Sen. McConnell is still dragging his feet on the appointment of Loretta Lynch as the new Attorney General, for no good reason,
• and our state legislature has done very little while in session.
• I am in the middle of a case of laryngitis which makes me sound horrible on the telephone, where I needed to be quite a bit in order to get my internet back on.
• I did have a wonderful visit with my son and his family last weekend, and I did have a dentist appointment and a haircut once I returned, 
• and my writers group met on Friday, in Lexington, where we fetted George Ella with laughter and tears and a cake (thanks, Martha!) and some fabulous fruit (thanks, Leatha!) and our usual sharing of words we have been working on. 

        So I am going to do here today what I had planned to do last week, which is to share an earlier blog of mine, #122, in honor of the one of the beauties of winter, now soon over.  I hope you will have time to revisit my homage -- to our wood cook stove -- which follows.

        Here's to happy news whenever and wherever you find it and can share it.

post #122

     
      In honor of chilly and icy weather, I decided to share photos of a wonderful member of our household staff -- the wood cook stove that was in the house when we bought the place forty years ago.  I have been known to take the stove for granted, but it's usually of great interest when someone visits our home for the first time.  We have it connected via a stove pipe to its chimney in the winter.  In the summer, however, we take out the stove pipe and push the stove up against the wall behind it as a way to provide additional space for summer comings and goings.  We don't rely on it for cooking, but we can boil water on it, cook potatoes or cornbread in the oven, or keep a pot of soup warm all afternoon -- if it is cold enough outside to make it worthwhile to build a fire.
      In the following photos, our kitchen area is close behind me.
      

the stove in use today, water boiling and a pan of water providing steam into the dry heated air

firebox on the left, oven in the middle, and, formerly, a water tank on the right, which, unfortunately, rusted out even before our time and doesn't seem easily replaceable

oven door  --  the gauge isn't actually all that accurate

The wood goes on this side, so my husband cuts it to fit the size of the opening.

To see what is behind the white door on the left, see the next photo.

wood burning in the top, ashes falling to the bottom, drawer comes out for periodic emptying

close-up from the last photo

wood in, lid still open

Here's a fire from last week, wood burning hot.  Often a slower fire can last the night.

yes, indeed

My husband, Frank, took this next photo Saturday morning, at one of the waterfalls.  Thanks!

       

    Photos two years ago of this same waterfall are on my blog here.  John Flavell took them, and today I want to thank him again for sharing the photos and for enjoying using our wood stove so very much.  I can also share that yesterday John won first place at the Kentucky News Photographers Association for the Best News Picture Story/Essay -- on the aftermath and recovery of West Liberty following the March 2nd tornado.  Bravo, John!! Click here to see these winning photos.