Fireplace

Seasoned logs popping and snapping over a low flame, the warm steady bed for a living room, a lodge or a long talk.

A burning log collapsing onto the embers with a hollow tumble and a burst of crackles, for a pause in the conversation.

An iron poker jabbing and scraping through the logs, for someone tending the fire, stalling for time or thinking.

A split log dropped onto the grate, a heavy thump, then hissing and fresh crackles as it catches and the fire grows.

Loud ticking crackles and small hisses from a fire burning down, for the end of the evening, a late talk or someone dozing off.

A metal damper scraped open and the grate rattled, for lighting the fire, clearing the ash or opening an old house.