burn, baby, burn...

Our friend Bill said recently: "Camping without a fire is actually not camping. It's just staying outside".

I totally agree. Without a fire, you'd lose the obvious things - the light, the heat (the smoke in the eyes for the umpteenth time) but so much more - wandering around by day and finding a good fire log is such a joy, like finding the perfect conker when you're a kid. It's part of the day as much as it's part of the night. It's great looking up and watching a few friends struggle under the weight of their wooden swag as they try not to trip or drop their end. Wood hunting is one of my favourite things ever.

And if there was no fire there would be no toasted marshmallows (forgot them this trip....for shame), there would be nothing to stare at inanely whilst supping red wine, sporting red wine horns and blethering nonsense. There would be nothing to poke absent mindedly with a toe or shoogle with a long stick or to do the campfire equivelant of cloud watching. Nope, camping without a fire is like holidays without a balcony/porch, a bus journey without a good book, a big dinner table without your friends and a birthday party without cake.

All very well, but with something missing.