Light my fire

Posted on by Miriam

I love the magic of a campfire.

There’s something infinitely special about disconnecting from a cluttered modern life and into the flickering flames of a fire. The warmth, the crackle of the logs, the hypnotic flames never fails to feed my soul. As ancient as the ritual is, cooking over glowing coals and gazing at  flames must surely be one of the simplest, yet significant, things in life.

Cooking at Big River (600x800)

I’ve sat around hundreds of campfires, all around Australia, under a cathedral of starry skies, poked marshmallows onto sticks and cooked meals over coals, played my guitar and sat with family and friends.  Talking and laughing, often just lost in our own thoughts.

At Mathoura on the Murray (800x600)

That’s the beauty of being round a campfire. The warmth and companionship that it evokes is a central focus of being outside on our camping trips and I love it.

Relaxing at Arkaroola (800x533)

I also miss it. I’m feeling an insatiable urge to be outside these days, to be surrounded by nature and the warmth of a fire.  But sometimes other things have to take priority so, for now, memories of past camp trips will suffice.  Like this one at Arkaroola.

P1010663 (800x533)

Few joys in life beat sitting round a campfire on a chilly starry night. Staring into the flaming tendrils, steaks on the grill and coffee waiting to warm us afterwards.

And in the light of a new day a hearty breakfast cooked over the coals.

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This week the photo theme at Dutch goes the Photo was Light and Frank challenged us to look at different aspects. For me, sitting around a campfire, whether it’s in the middle of the afternoon or an evening sunset, showcases Mother Nature’s diverse canvas at her best.

Majors Creek (800x600)

Tempered by moonlight lakeside or backed by a flaming sunset sky the light changes as daylight is kissed goodbye.  When the sun goes down and the only light comes from the campfire I feel calm and at peace with the universe.

Noojee (800x600)

Food for all of the senses comes from a twinkling of stars above, leaping flames and twirling smoke feeding the imagination and fueling the magic.

Orange fire2 (800x533)

Bonfire1 (800x600)

Last weekend our lovely neighbors lit a backyard bonfire so, close to home, we enjoyed an unexpected dose of campfire magic.  We savored food and  wine and shared memories of loved ones.  We enjoyed some laughs and I recaptured that feeling of peace.

Even Lamborghini was part of our night, relishing hugs near the fire.

Bonfire2 (600x800)

I love the way her adorable white face shows up even in the black night.  She’s our little light of joy and fun in the midst of my sometimes dark world.

May we always keep the flame of love alive.

May we never let darkness overwhelm us but always find light and hope in our days.

Wishing you all peace, lightness of mood and a warm heart as we continue the journey.

In response to  Dutch goes the Photo Tuesday Photo Challenge: Light

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124 thoughts on “Light my fire”

  3. A beautiful post Miriam, I too love the romance and earthyness of a campfire. Lamby looks so sweet and at home with you all, truly a gift for all concerned you found each other in this life. Much love to you all xxx

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  4. I also love a good campfire, and miss it. Love and warmth to you Miriam while you work, may your days of play return sooner than later. We all need those play days, especially as adults! (This is a Good reminder for myself)

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  9. Great post, I have a log fire in my home and a fire pit outside, I know its not the same as camping, but a fire gives you so much company and lets your imagination go to over drive, I’m just waiting for our winter now, not long to go, have a great day

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  10. Thank you for sharing, Miriam. I am back home from Spain two days ago. We live too far from camping sites, but we enjoy the fire even just in our fireplace, especially in the winter. I like the sight, the sense, and the scent of the fire. It’s a good company! The flicking seems to be talking to you, dancing to entertain you!!!

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  18. I love campfires! Especially, when it’s cool and there’s good company. We don’t always get an opportunity to enjoy a campfire, with most of our campfire experiences being restricted to trips. Love the way you captured the flames and the shot with your kids in the background. 🙂 And your breakfast reminded me of our Korean barbecue experience yesterday. Basil loves baked beans. 🙂

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  20. Love your choice of campsites in that first picture, right next to the rushing water. I can say that when I was younger my friends and I took every opportunity to camp, but we never ate that good! Awesome take on Frank’s challenge.

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  21. A very heart-warming post Miriam. I could imagine the smell of burnt woods and marsmallows…and the guitar playing under the starry night…it’s just wow! I wish I could experience that…
    And lambi is truly adorable! Perfect! ❤

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      1. Not doing it often enough… Can you believe that we were only camping once since we moved to Australia?! We were just talking about it the other evening. Kids would love to go again. Just need to do it!

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        2. Nope and that’s the reason why we didn’t do it. Last time we borrowed everything from our friends because we didn’t know if the kids would like it (as if they wouldn’t…)…

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  29. You are right, there is nothing quite like the warmth and companionship of sitting around a fire together! Although you know I don’t have a history of camping, I do enjoy a bonfire with friends and family, particularly on a chilly night. It’s good for the soul. I’m so glad your neighbors provided that for you…and as for the photo of your little lamb, it was precious! Peace to you, Miriam….

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  30. I confess, Miriam, I’m not much of a one for camping (though I’ve tried it several times). However, I do love a campfire – you capture so well the meaning behind it, something that goes back to our earliest ancestors. Light, warmth and protection, held in golden flames. Lovely photos, too 🙂

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  33. Oh Miriam what a wonderful post! Our hearts are definitely aligned this week with our love of camping and campfires and taking precious time out to just ponder about life and the world around us. And little lamby – so absolutely adorable!! Beautiful moments to cherish and your photo’s make me want to be right there! xx

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  34. A lovely post! Fab photographs too. I definitely agree with you; campfires are great there’s such a warm atmosphere about it when you can sit with your favourite people around them. 🙂

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  35. Miriam, Great post, and great photos, lovely to outdoor living, you guys seem to camp a lot, and you can manage a fire too -wow. What a beautiful way to become closer to loved ones. Lovely post.

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  38. Fire is so mesmerizing! It brings so much to our lives, heck, I guess it even brings our lives! We wouldn’t have life at all if that big ball of fire in the sky wasn’t there to keep things temperate!

    I’ve not had the joy of being around as many fires as I’d like, so seeing your pictures helps me capture that feeling. I can feel the warmth and smell the smoky scents wafting in the breeze.

    Thank you for the warmth of your friendship. 🙂 *hugs*

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    1. As always such a beautiful (and profound!) comment Ness. We’d have a ball around a campfire if we could! Thank you for your friendship as well. xo 🙂

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  39. Miriam, this is magnificent! Thank you, thank you for sharing. I was in Australia, and this brings back beautiful memories. I understand the need to be outside in nature, especially after loss (I had this with my mom). Sending many blessings your way, my friend. Peace and love, Debbie

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    1. Oh yeah, definitely true Simon. I always come back from our camping trips and think how little we need to actually get by on. Camping really does get you back to basics, especially round a roaring fire. 🙂

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        2. It’s too full of bullshit and money. I know what you mean and I mustn’t get started, but the infuriating thing is it’s about making other people stinking rich.

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        3. So true, seems to be the way of the world. Well I don’t know about you Simon but I’m happy to be the way I am, even if sometimes it’s a bit of a struggle … makes you appreciate things a helluva lot more.

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        4. This is the thing – I don’t want to be rich or famous – Just to be able to wake up in the morning and feel happy about my life.
          Why is something so simple so hard?

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