To celebrate the Summer Solstice, Mike inaugurated the fire ring with its first flames.

I thought it was a little silly, at first, to have a fire on the first day of summer.  But, as I watched him tend the fire, that old feeling came back of hours of good conversation and relaxation around the fire ring at the campgrounds in the National Forest.  After the day I'd had, it seemed like just the thing to ease me.

We had a simple supper and then I clipped the runners on my strawberries.  I then gazed with excessive amazement at my lettuce actually forming heads!  I let the rest of the chores go and didn't even bring any knitting to work on down to the fire ring.

After a first fire photo session, the Ferrells (our neighbors to the north) joined us.  They sat by the fire with us for an hour and a half!  They talked about their recent vacation, their children growing to be adults, and home improvement.  There were other things, too, but really I just remember everyone stopping their busy lives to be mesmerized by one of the most fundamental things in life--fire.

When I feel like I don't fit in or the world has lost its deliberate pace, I remind myself of the things that humans do that unite us, regardless of geography, class or opinion.  We all eat, drink, love, procreate, mourn, celebrate, and we're all totally captivated by fire.