Bill wrote:

You know all that bark and bark dust which collects at the bottom of your
wood pile?...

Well take a used paper plate, use it to scoop up a plateful of bark and bark
dust, fold it in half like a taco, then stick it in your woodstove. Instant
extra heat!

for starting a fire in a wood stove get one bag of cedar
pet bedding. just one. use a small handful underneath
your seasoned red oak. light cedar with stick match.
never seen it fail. one bag will last all season and
don't use more than a handful cause cedar burns like
it's been soaked in kerosene.