That thing evoked a toasty warmth that just can't be had with electric. It was the aroma of the wood burning downstairs in the basement, permeating throughout the house."
Smells like home sweet home. Add to the scene, an old man in front of fireplace, smoking a pipe. THIS is America!
That is EXACTLY the image of my father! :-)
He passed away a few days before Thanksgiving nine years ago. I still miss him, terribly. His big hobby was knifemaking, he became very skilled at making Damascus ie multilayered steel. Sometimes he would go to his shop a short walk from the house, turn up the heater, sit in a chair amid all his tools and raw steel, and just THINK about what he should do next with knifemaking.
He was a really good character.