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So far this year I have been burning up a storm and making great progress clearing out dry wood at one of my favorite locations in the GTA.

I’ve had five all night bonfires burning from soon after dusk until dawn. They are always friendly but of course I always wish the fires could have continued.

The fires have been beauties and the area where I have burned is looking much healthier for my having done so.

In the processing of so much wood I discovered two sticks which would work well for rakes and have crafted them into fine Earth scratching sticks. Their names are Beach Rake and Try Harder and I will post pictures later.

Bonfires are a passion of mine and I have started recording videos of some.

Here are two of my favorite videos from my new YouTube channel Lit Bonfires. This one from late in the winter with snow on the ground:

And another at a beautiful new bonfire spot I set up by Giant fallen trees.

I’ll be investing in an audio recorder soon so I can narrate the burn. I find the fire puts me into a zenlike state where I tend to rhyme and sing as I admire the bonfire bling.

So far I’ve had about 10 fires this year. Typically I have one or two a week, sometimes more.

If you’re in the GTA and would like to get together for a fire hit me up as I love to organize fires with friends and new friends. Smores, stories and snacks around the fire are great fun.

My friend Steve recently joined me for a fire. We cooked Onions, Carrots and Potatoes in Chicken Broth and they turned out awesome! Bonfire food can be a challenge to cook but it’s well worth the effort because food on the fire tastes fantastic.

Check out this picture of a fire that looks like a Horse is jumping out of it! Fires are nothing short of magic and are the best way to bond with nature if you are burning in a sensible way (No burning plastic, ink, green wood, etc.)

I’ve found the spirits of the forest area actually able to blaze art into the embers and the ash. The art is hypnotic and often resembles faces and other interesting elements. It is likely a primary reason why I pursue prep with such vigor. Bonfires light the soul of the forest up with life.

Here’s a pic featuring about half of my current bonfire wood stash. I like to stay stocked up and always ready for a strong fire.

Since this last picture was taken I stocked up much more wood and then one day the majority of it was gone.

Bonfires can be a challenging affair. The last fire I had (video 20 on the year at https://YouTube.com/@LitBonfires) was shut down by firefighters. This is likely because it was a tall fire at an early hour near a busy street. It’s the first time one of my fires was shut down at night.

I’ve encountered the firefighters on three other occasions this year, each time first thing in the morning after a night long burn.

Here are some of my favorite pictures from bonfires I’ve had this year.

As the pictures clearly reveal there is intelligent life shaping the design of the blaze.

Bonfires are actually “bond” fires and enable the bonds between a man and nature.

The life of the light is known as Illuminati, and when the word is broken down its parts sounds very much like: A Lumen, Knot, Tree. A Lumen is like a photon, a unit/measurement of light. Illuminati is the secret community of trees.