I had succeeded! I had a smoky little fire that was just barely keeping the winter chill at bay. I had a barn cat happily purring on my lap and my dog’s grave nearby. I’d started a fire with flint and steel in darned near the worst of conditions. Good for me!
Even so, I felt alone. The sun set and I gathered another armload of firewood. It started getting chilly.
I am not a social person but humans are meant to be together. I began to miss my dog. My jacket began to freeze to the cold bench where I sat.
In general, I think cell phones are evil and addictive but I used mine to take a photo of the fire and text it to an old camping buddy. “Started fire with flint and steel. I’m as smart as and also smell like a Neanderthal!”
The signal went out the aether and the cat fell asleep. I didn’t expect to hear back. Like most men, we talk in intervals of months. I sat in the gloom not 100 yards from my house and relaxed. Slowly the fire did it’s magic and I warmed up. So did my soul. I did indeed feel better.
Then the phone rang. It was my old camping buddy. He was giddy with happiness. Certain things in his life which had been dire (and don’t belong in a blog written by me) had resolved! In fact, he was bubbly. I was aware he’d been slogging through the shit sandwich of hard times but I didn’t know it had worked out so well. I was delighted at the news.
We talked a few minutes and then he hung up. My mood had brightened considerably. His good fortune really made me happy! By now it was dark. The fire had died down and I kicked some snow over the ashes to put it out. Yes, I leave campfire ashes in my lawn. Don’t you? Why not?
The cat lounged near the heat of the fire and I said goodbye to my dead dog. I had a warm house to go to with happy people there too.
That was my Easter. How was yours?
Great story!
Thanks.
Pyromania with the cretins and black powder geeks at my rod and gun club, and almost produced produced brawls and punch ups. I’d brag about starting a blaze with a ferro rod and steel. Then some maggot would one-up me by with traditional flint and steel. Catcalls and jeers would be sailing back and forth at this point. Then some old mutt would claim to be able to produce fire with a bow drill…and then the fight would be ON. Sadly, this is what passes for companionship for blackpowder geeks and gun club duffers. I never started a fire with a bow drill.
Nowadays I have a dozen or more of those baby bic lighters scattered throughout my plunder and use them exclusively. I watch the antics of the pyro slobs and laugh.
😂👍
Don’t say goodbye to your dog, AC. Say hello. They may take a chunk of us when they go and if ya concentrate too much on the pain of that…you may overlook what they left behind for you.
Last time I tried a bow drill I jacked up my back something fierce. I will surely try again but not in the wet weather. For actual survival safety I carry big fat survival matches in a waterproof case. Fiddling around with a ferro rod or whatnot is for fun, not dodging hypothermia. Ironically now that I’ve started “hiking” with my dirt bike I’ve always got a supply of gasoline, so fire starting is pretty much guaranteed.
I miss my dog but it’s less awful now. We’ve got a puppy that’s the apple of Mrs. Curmudgeon’s eye so that’s fun to watch.
Almost Heaven…
The older I get, the more I appreciate lighters and matches. I still have a ferro rod and steel for a backup, but I hope I never have to get that desperate. I keep several of the looooong lighters since they can be quite useful compared to a regular lighter.
I don’t think anyone will have a practical situation where they go camping and need anything but basic matches. When the situation is dire, it’s time for good high quality matches in a waterproof case.
Playing with flint and steel is more a historic skill than anything… unless there’s a really weird scenario and you were stranded like Tom Hanks in Castaway.
i’ll second Filthie’s comment about your dog. I chat with my old Lab, gone almost a dozen years now, pretty much daily. Somehow, Lab 2.0 knows when I’m talking to her & not him. They leave us way too soon, but they’re never really gone.
Yeah, my old dog was a damn good listener and I’ll miss him forever but there’s gone and then there’s gone. A dog always stays at least a little. I also suppose life wouldn’t be life if it lasted forever.
I have had several dogs, but only one who was above all others. Her name was Jenny and she was a border collie/shepard mix. She would herd my two youngsters back onto our property if they were near the roadway. or a steep wash in back of our property. I Never had to use any command, She just knew they did not belong outside the property,. If she saw me headed to my pickup, then tap the tailgate, she would be in the bed before I had a chance to get in the cab. Best Dog Ever.
Those are called once in a lifetime dogs and you are lucky to have had one. I had one as a boy and it was a life changing experience. He seemed to be able to read my mind and knew when I was in danger and he needed to intervene. Been 60 years ago and I still miss him.
Agreed, I was lucky.