White Oak is Troublesome

They say one should not use white oak to build a good fire, it is troublesome, doesn't burn well. And really, one should buy next year's wood this year, seasoned wood is best for a good fire, a warm fire, a hot fire, depending on the need.

Softwoods like fir and pine are lovely, burn so sweet; they say fir is trouble-free and pine gives that heady green tangy aroma; oh there's rock elm, shagbark hickory, tamarack, and the hardwoods that burn so hot, live oak, eucalyptas, walnut, once seasoned are very fine indeed.

Ah, madrone, stately madrone that grips the rocky outcrops and dry bluffs along Puget Sound, the best hardwood for a blazing fire.

If the wood is too dry, it takes only a spark for it to flare up, hungry for the flame, burning hot and fast in absolute combustion of surrender, leaving bewilderment and more work to be done, gathering the seasoned wood again, usefully stacked in cords, covered by tarps, seasoned, but not too neglected, lest it flame up and burn out too soon.