Hello all,

As you have probably noticed, I end all of my ramblings with a "tagline" see you 'round the campfire.

Campfires once were a critical part of time spent outdoors.  They were safety and solace in an unlit world.

I believe they still are a necessary connection to a simpler time.

Whether a reason to get a group of people together, an avenue for getting lost in your own thoughts, or just a means of allowing your mind to go blank as you become hypnotized by the flames or hot coals.  More people NEED to spend time around a campfire.

Enjoy the following article writen by Tom Keith, posted on-line by Gary Bottger.

Some things change, but for our own mental well-being, some need to stay the same.

See you 'round the campfire

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Nebraska Outdoor Notebook

by Tom Keith

What’s So Special About A Campfire?
One of the things I’ve always enjoyed most about camping is the campfire. It doesn’t matter what season, what time of day, or what the weather is, the first thing I do when I set up camp is build a fire.

The campfire has a certain magic of its own that is important when you are camping. It is the gathering place where all of the people you are camping with come to eat, drink coffee, make plans for the day. Later that evening, they meet there again to rehash everything that happened during the day and plan again for the next.

It’s the place where the kids feel safe, especially at night when the rest of the unfamiliar outdoor world with all of it’s strange noises is cloaked in darkness.

It’s a place where you can warm your hands and feet, where wet clothing and boots can be dried, and where smoke from the fire will help protect the campers from biting and stinging bugs.

Campfire smoke smells wonderful and like Hoppe’s No. 9 gun oil, has a distinctive odor that makes you think of being outdoors wherever or whenever you get a whiff of it. In my opinion, if someone made a woman’s perfume that smelled like a campfire, it would take over the market.

To the real campfire smoke, add the delicate aromas of coffee boiling, bacon, potatoes, onions and fish frying, or steaks grilling above glowing coals and you have a camping trip worth remembering.

It seems to me that anything cooked over a campfire tastes better than it would cooked on a kitchen stove. My dogs think so too, they always get to sample the roasted hot dogs, barbecued chicken, and grilled burgers we enjoy in the evenings when we’re camping.

And, every camper should take it upon themselves to insist that every one of their children and grandchildren spend at least a few evenings each year sitting around the campfire hearing and telling ghost stories and roasting marshmallows.

One of the secrets of building a great campfire is to choose good wood to feed it.

The best firewood gives off good heat, is easy to burn, easy to split, gives off little smoke and few sparks. Among the best woods are:

Apple burns slowly and steadily when dry, with little flame but good heat. Smells good.

Ash is excellent, a very good burning wood, produces both flame and heat.

Birch produces good heat and smells good but burns rather quickly.

Cedar is good when dry. It pops and snaps, burns easily and produces a medium heat. It smells good.

Cherry burns slowly with medium heat and smells good.

Hard maple burns well and produces high heat.

Soft maple burns well, produces medium heat.

Walnut burns well, produces medium heat and smells good.

Hickory produces high heat and is easy to burn.

Red and white oak produce high heat and little smoke.

Douglas fir produces high heat but also heavy smoke.

Spruce is abundant but produces only low heat and medium smoke.

Seasoned wood with a moisture content of 15-20 percent burns best. Unseasoned wood provides less heat because some of the energy stored in it is needed to vaporize the water and drive if off. If you must use green wood, the smaller you split it, the better it will burn.

Camping with the family can be one of the least expensive and most enjoyable activities available to you. Look for more information about camping in Nebraska at the Nebraska Game and Parks Commission’s Web site at www.OutdoorNebraska.org.