No, it isn’t an iPod, home theater, or other electronic gadget. It’s a small kitten named Mittens. This fall, Will and I went to a neighbor’s yard sale and noticed a sign for two free kittens. The lady told us her husband told her she had to get rid of the kittens at the sale or he would shoot them. Will asked to see the male. Out came a tiny bit of a 6-week-old kitten and Will tucked him into his shirt. He’s been home now for a month and a half and is one of the family. Even our Lab, Spencer, loves Mittens and that big dog and tiny kitten romp and play like family. (Our animals are strange: dogs love cats, bulls love doeling goats, and goats sleep with chickens.)
We’re having a ball watching Spencer and Mittens play tag and “fight.” Spencer is so gentle with Mittens, it’s unbelievable. We won’t be bored this winter.
And we always find new projects. David picked up a load of new bricks when his church youth group cleaned out a storeroom at school. I didn’t know what I’d use them for…maybe a small entry area by our front gate? But so far, they’ve just been piled up, waiting. Will and I talked about putting them around the wood stove in the living room, for a heat sink, and last night, he started hauling wheelbarrow-loads of bricks into the house. We cleaned and stacked bricks until 10:30 last night and finally, this morning, it was finished. And not only will the bricks hold the stove’s heat a long time after it burns down, but we also think it looks nice.
Will’s planning on rocking up the walls behind and beside the wood stove, but until he gets working on that, our new stove surround will do famously. — Jackie
I have a bit smart wood stove for my mountain cabin (a tiny but well apportioned 64 sq ft. Like yiu, I use brick surrounds for added thermal mass and surround my stovepipe with flue liners (one horizontal with holes bored I to the back to pass the pipe, leaving a warming oven/heat dispenser). I have two layers of stamped metal firewall with spacers between set behind the wood stove also. I use homemade firebrick close to the stove and red brick on outer ‘walls’z. What a difference it makes for heat retention when the weather is zero and the winds are blowing. Ever grateful for cozy warmth!
WOW…..what a neat look. It fits in perfectly with your decor.
and, definitely it will retain the heat longer. You never cease to amaze me with your ideas.
I second the great idea (and Good Looks) on the heat sink for your stove.
Very well done.
We hope to put in a wood stove in the near future, so don’t be surprised if your idea for the heat sink is “borrowed”. :)
I love the idea of a “heat sink.” I have never heard of doing that but the thermal mass heat retention is brilliant! Thanks for sharing the creativity!
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