Geez PC you're not trying to get all intellectual on us are ya? If that's the case what's this world coming to? LOL!
In my opinion, I think a fire is reassuring, and has a calming effect. The mountain men of old had nothing else to keep them company on those lonely nights 'cept maybe their stock. Also,that's one of the first things they teach you to do is to build a fire when you get lost. It soothes your nerves, and can offer comfort while you gather your wits (for those of you on this site that have any). =)
Something I look forward to though is coming up on camp after a hard day of hunting, and being able to see it from a mile off due to the roaring fire someone was considerate enough to start. There's nothing more inviting at the end of the day when the air turns cold, and the muscles get sore. The warmth seems more genuine coming from a fire than from anything else (kind of like cooking too... doesn't it seem to taste better over an open flame than cooked on a stove?)
How many of us have caught ourselves zoning out from staring into those flickering flames for too long? (Happens to me all the time, but then again it doesn't take a whole lot to amuse me I guess). Those flames can be hypnotizing!
And last but not least, I love letting an old jacket get all smoky. Then, until the next time I'm able to make it back into the mountains, I've got a souvenir of sorts that I can always go back to and take a whiff of to remind me of that natural purity that only the mountains can provide.
Thanks for the opportunity to daydream PC! Now if only I wasn't at work...
Eyeguard
