starting a fire

the trails are simple, really fast, and nothing hard.  
At the last minute I joined my two team mates, Arthur and Ankers, for a weekend of camping and riding over at Raystown.

Friday night was spent drinking.  Saturday.  Rain fell and we waited to ride.  We got out after noon, and got a big-ish ride in, something we all enjoyed.

Saturday as dusk fell, 1st Ankers gave lighting a fire a shot.  Then me, the wood wet, it'd smolder a bit, but not catch.  Arthur tried, and out it went.   So he had other ideas and went down to the lake to fish.


I skipped racing.  To ride.  And I see myself, as a cyclist as a racer.

We'd tried the Lincoln logs formation, and the tee-pee.
    I built a base, a square, outta charred wet wood.
Then filled the pit in the center with the driest bits of paper, splinters, whatever could be used.
then built the tee-pee with the best dry-est logs left.
I lit it, and it came to.
I told Ankers to go barter some beers for a some dry wood, he came back with 6.

One at a time we added the good fuel.
and the wet we had plenty of we put close to the fire to dry and the fire burned.

We talked the night, and drank the night.  Listen to Steve Gunn, Steve Earl, and War on Drugs.
The fire got easier and burned hearty strong.


I crawled into my tent and slept with lots of daddy long legs.
Sunday we got up early to do the riding we could do before we had to leave to do the things we had to do at home.

Not as much talking.  I went faster, on the simple trails.
shook hands, and left.

dlowe.