I have come to a conclusion that woodburning is an art. Any dumb fool can burn stuff, but if you want to burn efficiently it is an art that has to be developed. The girls at work think I am obsessed but if I am going to do something I want to do it the best I can possibly do it. My husband said, there's nothing to it just throw in a couple of logs.....but that wasn't good enough for me and I have been trying to perfect my ability to maintain a good fire. We have good wood which is a good start but I have come to realize that not all the time will you have the perfect fire. Many factors come into play: temperature, wood, draft, coal bed etc. I try the best I can but sometimes I don't get the perfect secondaries or the best burn, but I have learned that every fire will be different and not to get down on myself because I am a newbie. I just want other newbies to learn that it will take time and to be patient and woodburning is an art.....................every day you will learn something new and get better at it. That's what I am trying to do.