We found an old fireplace hiding behind an electric fire not long after we moved into our new home. The fireplace had a few broken firebricks so we smashed them out last weekend and put a new fireback in. After leaving it for a week we have set a few fires going this weekend to dry things out. (I checked the chimney for leaks beforehand).
Since we got the fire going Louis has turned into a real fire-hound. He’s always liked lying in the sun and today he enjoyed a double-whammy; sunshine and a real fire.
Here he is in in action, (for action read inaction):-
In our old home Louis never bothered with the gas fire in the lounge. A real fire, however, makes a difference as, as I type this, he’s curled up as close as he can get to the fire. Maybe it’s an instinctual behaviour for hounds as part of the deal whereby Louis keeps our back garden lion-free.