Bonfire

• 5 or 6 cans of mhl - Alki Beach
  

I love fires. I always have. It's mesmerizing watching orange/red/blue flames appear from wood or paper or FireStarter or briquets or marshmallows...

I love the warmth that fires bring. On a cold night or day, it's kind of remarkable how close you can get to a fire without burning yourself.

I love stoking. I wonder why it's called stoking, because really it's just poking with a long stick or something. And maybe that's how it came about - a combo of poking and stick (or something).

I love the burning. When the fire has gone on a while and the flames have died down and all that's left is the wood resembling tiny blocks of glowing cubes.

"Fire is Life"

Memorable fires:

• Bonfire in Gonzales, Louisiana with my cousins and other relatives. It was a true bonfire; tremendous in size and heat; burning all day and all night.
• All of the Long Beach fires we've had - both on the beach and in the yard.
• Fire in Sleeping Lady's bar.
• Fires in our fireplace in Garden City, KS. The fireplace took up the whole wall and was made of brick.
• Fire in the room at Salish Lodge Inn.
• Campfire in Eastern Washington with good friends from the MAT program.