Its charm lies in its basic simplicity, a hemispherical structure of birch trunks, wind-proofed around the outside with turf bricks.

For a long time he was unable to strike a match against the birch trunk.

A few birch trunks shine candlelike in the inner darkness.

Within an hour the trailer was full of neatly sawn cylindrical birch trunk.

Only when he was out of cartridges did he stop, dropping on to his haunches, leaning back against the birch trunk.

White specks appeared among the birch trunks, white splotches that moved downhill, almost like a breaking wave.

I leaned against another birch trunk.

And there are several vertical evocations of birch trunks so realistic you could almost peel off the bark.

It ran about knee-height off the ground, was wrapped around a birch trunk and tied to a stake embedded about four foot further on.

"Beautiful discards," said Mr. Lisicky, pointing out his most recent haul of two thin birch trunks.