Short of being a pyromaniac I do love a good fire. Oh, I was never a boy scout but I did grow up on a cattle ranch in California where I learned how to make fire. There is something prehistoric in watching fire. Many times even a favorite TV show could not compete with an entertaining fire which I could literally watch for hours. Now through the years I’ve made some interesting discoveries about fire some of which I think may be great metaphors for life and some not so much. First the obvious: two logs burn better than one. But they must be a precise distance apart to allow just the right mixture of oxygen, just like a carburetor in a car. Second: dry logs start burning easier. But have you ever noticed that wet and perhaps even a little rotted wood burns hotter? It takes a while to get them started, usually they must be mixed with good dry hard wood and it takes a while but when they do catch I’ve had the grill literally melt down from the heat. Thirdly: it’s the radiant heat from the coals at the bottom that provide the best heat into the room. The fire on top which is by far the most entertaining produces great heat but mostly it’s lost right up the chimney. Anyway, I pretend to be a kind of fire-snob, but perhaps someone can one-up me. By the way Lisa and I are writing a lot and listening to a lot of songs, by the fire.

Paul