Lighting a fire in public. My first uniformed job in the National Park Service was at Mesa Verde N P, guiding visitors through cliff dwellings and giving the occasional campfire. No matter how early you got to the campfire circle, there was always someone already there. Naturally you made the fire out of native materials - no newspaper, lint balls, or gasoline.

So I get my stuff together. Actually since Utah Juniper is abundant in the area, fire starting is a snap (usually). Arrange my twig teepee, strike the match, apply, and the flame starts up. I smile and turn away to chat with some visitors. After a few minutes, grins and chuckles on the faces of some of the other folks there cause me to look at my fire - no flame, just a thin wisp of smoke, pitifully dying. <img src="images/graemlins/blush.gif" alt="" />

This is a disaster! If I have to strike another match, I have lost my audience and I am a loser- geek of the worst kind. So, down on a knee, blow gently, add a needle, a twig, another needle,blow again, two needles, blow hard, add more twigs. Finally lay on a piece of squaw wood, and flame erupts. I pay attention to the damn fire and add more fuel as the crowd applauds.... <img src="images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" />