what is it about fire!?

burn days are a trick around here. it has to be good air quality (it looks clean! let's mess it up!), it has to be dry (so stuff will burn), and it has to be not dry (to dangerous in the summer). it was a burn day yesterday and we had just pruned everything (trees, grapes, pomegranate bushes) and had lots of cardboard left over from christmas.

so we called over some friends (read:free labor) and gathered up everything on our property that would burn. the friends showed up with their old christmas tree strapped to their car. when we got it to light, it was HUGE! as it died down after the initial fire ball, the kids were super motivated to run around and get every last scrap. we played, burned marshmallows, talked, and roasted ourselves next to a great fire. around 5:30, they all left.

so THEN, we went inside and made foil wraps. the kids were so happy/excited they were wiggling out of their pants (jack-"we are going to eat from the FIRE!?"). As it got dark, and the coals were glowing, we put our dinner on and talked. it got down to 23* last night, so the fire was awesome. sydney even used a half of a cinderblock, put some coals and fire down the hole, and boiled a pot of water over it (perfect outdoor burner) and made us pasta. there is something really satisfying about watching your kids figure out that kind of stuff.

the food was "there-is-something-black-in-my-dinner,-but-i-am-too-happy-and-hungry-to-care" good, and tim came home just in time to eat his hot off the fire. the stars were incredible and it felt like we had just discovered a secret portal to this little world.

as i drug the kids in to shower and go to bed, they all begged to do it again every night.

i had to point out that they had just burned every scrap of tinder on the whole place.

so in another 3 years, we should have enough brush built up to do it again.