ANTHRACITE

Delving deep into my regular January photo subjects, I am naturally and historically drawn to the basement. For many years the draw was due to my antiquated, failing heating system. Part of the draw was to the many odd object left there by previous residents of this house... but my nemesis the heater was always overshadowing the space. Last year the behemoth finally drew it's last breath, and we replaced it with simplest of systems. It wasn't simple to install by any means (and it was more of a bitch to get into the basement)... but all those pipes and wires make much more sense after helping with the installation. Now we basically have a metal box in which we keep the ever burning fire fed periodically with fresh little black rocks. I find myself sitting in front of the saucer sized opening enjoying the blueish flame, just as I would a camp fire. It's like my instinctual caveman joy... making fire. Such a basic need this time of year, heat,  but sometimes it takes getting to know a process at it's core to appreciate it on a different level.