All Blog Posts (7)

You can't ask for a better campfire setting then a cool autumn evening with a full moon overhead. The crisp night air and the warming glow of a good campfire, add to that, something hot cooking over the flames like a stew and it's just about perfect. It makes you want to break out the old guitar and render a song or two. I hope that many of you will also enjoy your own campfire experiences, whether you gather in a city suburb or a farm field, surrounded by good friends and loved ones. A faithful… Continue

A friend of mine who lives in San Francisco, California wrote to me about the annual Burning Man Festival. Apparently, a huge tribe of geeks, freaks, weirdos,whackos, vendors, and curiosity seekers, gather together in the Nevada desert to party and shed themselves of bad vibes they accumulated during the past year. This soul cleansing is achieved by casting their negativity, fears, phobias, and bad vibes into a huge central bonfire that is in the shape of a man. Something like the movie...The Wi… Continue

Only four days until September and three weeks later the first day of Autumn. It's the fall season that campfires' burn the brightest and warmest. With a chill in the air a campfire feels warmer and more inviting, especially with a big pot of stew slowly heating over the flames. The air is brisk and sharp as the campfire smoke drifts on the cool breeze. And holding your hands out before a campfire feels so good and natural. Cooler temps and campfires just go well together. So, as we approach the… Continue

Yowzer...it's plenty hot. The matching temp of 95 plus a humidity of same...equals a heat index of 105 degrees, that clings to you like a steam towel. Air conditioning and pools are the only escape, and I ain't too sure about the pools. Campfires are only practical after sundown. Plus a cooler of cold beverages nearby. A friend of mine took off for beaches of Florida. That sounds crazy to me...go further south where there is more sun, heat, humidity, and sand and salt water. I'd rather go spe… Continue

While keeping the campfire burning an unexpected visitor arrived to join the Firekeeper and Buick McCoy around the flames. A long time resident of the local area, Thomas, took a seat on the "therapy" bench and before long the communal glow of the campfire had coaxed some great stories from his recollection. My favorite was way back in the day, when Thomas was ten years old, his Father would take him and his younger brother fishing at the nearby lake. Now, his Father had a sister who liv… Continue

There is one less light on in the woods. The Happy Campers are saddened by the passing of Jeff who left us earlier this week. Good neighbor Jeff lived across the road and into the woods and we'd often see his porch light on during the campfire therapies. A few times Jeff would come and sit with us around the campfire but more often he'd keep to himself in the home that he mostly built himself. Jeff's life contained some tragic events, the sudden loss of his wife in an car accident, and the Ca… Continue

It's raining, it rained yesterday, it rained last night, it rained this morning, and it will rain tomorrow. It's the monsoon season and hard to start up a campfire. The wood is all wet and the campfire pit is a soggy hole. All the Happy Campers are wise to remain indoors and surf the net. Or clean house, or read a book, play their guitars, or just drive around town when the "cabin fever" strikes them. And the ironic thing is, we will be begging for rain come the Summer months. It will be drought… Continue