Without paying a great deal of attention, loaded four splits at noon that I thought were sugar maple. Obviously one was not. The entire house has a strong vanilla fragrance. Any thoughts?
My thought is that something is wrong with the draft if the house smells of anything from the wood you are burning.
Perhaps. Not that I am aware of. I have a hell of a draft. First time I have been aware of a fragrance when I am burning. Can't think of anything that can be making the home smell like vanilla except the fire. Don't have Ponderosa pine. Have a few live white oak, but none that I've split. Now that I think of it, I did put two small fatwood splinters in when I started the fire. Someone gave me a box a year ago, and I decided the other day to burn them to get rid of them. Could they smell like that? That small amount of wood? Another question: could it possibly come off wood I have near the stove, warming/drying snow from bottom of stack location? I wouldn't think so.... Just really can't understand why it smells so nice.
Sounds pleasant. I have fond memories of my grandfather (1905) smoking vanilla tobacco. Maybe try again another time with the fatwood?
Sounds like you had a little smoke escape in the house. To me, maple has a sweet, almost vanilla-y smell when it burns. Go stand outside after you reload next time.
