Fire!

I am sitting in my book room (ok, spare bedroom, but it might as well be a book room as that is mainly what it contains) looking out the window as fireworks go off all over the city ... and it's not even bonfire night (Guy Fawkes night) until tomorrow.

There is something about fire that I find mesmerising, I love the smell and the sound, standing by a fire and warming my hands.  Most of all I love to watch though, the fire licking through the wood, the sparks flying up in to the night sky and the colours changing inside the fire itself..

I've been attracted to fire as long as I can remember (yep I was the kid that got turfed out of science classes because I insisted on playing with the Bunsen burners).  I don't however have a particularly good track record with it though - and the combination of me and fire seems to stir fear into the hearts of my friends and family.

Ok, so my family has a very good reason.  When I was about 8 or so my dad decided that he'd build a bonfire to get rid of some garden waste, and some bits from the garage, and next doors garden etc... anyway the fire was a decent size by the time he (ably assisted by me) lit it. My sister was out somewhere and my mum was chairing some sort of committee meeting in the dining room.  I remember dad having to leave and telling me to watch the fire, which I did... what I didn't notice though was it spreading to the fence at the back of the garden... or the three very tall poplar trees... or the garden shed.... Admittedly I was only 8 at the time but I probably should have been paying a little more attention rather than day dreaming.....

Somehow I didn't learn, and as a student a combination of a little too much to drink (ok, so possibly a lot too much to drink), a very late night and trying to make instant noodles caused a small pan fire... which wouldn't have been too much of a problem, until I set the net curtains on fire above the kitchen sink... didn't get my deposit back on that rental!

My sister's birthday falling between Halloween and bonfire night meant a lot of bonfire parties... .for some reason I was always the kid who would pick up the sparkler from the wrong end and burn my fingers....

My love of fire has become a bit of a family joke now ... which I play on quite happily by putting on every birthday and Christmas present list the fact that I'd really really like a mini blow torch for cake decorating purposes... honestly!

That said, I've promised my beta reader that my NaNo story
will for a change not contain a fire........ yeah well, I'm only 6000 words in, plenty of time yet....