The Campfire

Sitting around a campfire is one of Summer's popular pastime.There is something mesmerizing about the flames as they take on a life of their own. The other evening, my husband, Brad and I decided to have a fire in our portable fire pit. It started out huge--each flame bursting from the logs, as if reaching up to break free from the pit in which it was imprisoned. My husband prefers to have the lid on the screen, but I asked him to remove it so the fire could dance at free will, and look more like a good ol' fashioned campfire. I'm a little nostalgic that way.

We opted to stay home Friday night instead of watching the fireworks in town. When we started the campfire, we had an hour to go before the fireworks were to start a mile down the road at the Middle School. In the meantime, my cozy campfire created its own sparkling firework display, and to my delight, fireflies put on quite the fireworks show as they flickered throughout the back yard. To make the evening all the more relaxing, the Minnesota state bird of prey (mosquito) hardly made a showing.

Campfires calm me...they allow my mind to wander as I gaze at the burst of flames and crackling sparks as they shoot from the fire, and gently fall to the ground where they slowly burn out in the dew covered grass.

Ah, but the best is yet to come as the flames ebb into a small dance among the red glowing logs. Everything becomes peaceful and I hold my husband's hand. I would trade an evening of a pyro-technic firework display for this moment, with my best friend, in front of a glowing fire and a glass of strawberry-lime margarita.

The plot thickens, though, when the city fireworks show begins, and the booming sound ignites to the north and then echoes seconds later to the west. To our delight, we are able to see most of the fire works above the tree tops....our "ooohs" and "ahhhs" begin between us.

This was an evening of entertainment for only the cost of a bottle of pre-mixed margarita mix that will last us several evenings around the campfire.

I love a good campfire that brings back memories of going to camp as a child and camping with my kids. Each campfire story is different, because the place and time are different with a new story to tell, or dream to talk about.

The smell of the campfire lingers on my clothes and memories awaken the following morning when I put yesterday's clothes in the washer. It's almost like a good cologne---so good I wish there were a way to package it and call it the "Woodsman." This is a light-hearted comment, but true to how I feel.

Most of us all have our own campfire store, or thought to share. I welcome your comments on this.


Jewel