![Shocked :shock:](./images/smilies/icon_eek.gif)
It was close, though!
![Embarassed :oops:](./images/smilies/icon_redface.gif)
I was out for a walk here on the farm and thought to myself, "Self, wouldn't it be nice to start a quick fire and brew a cup?"
I answered in the affirmative, and quickly combed a handful of primary tinder out of a nearby clump of dead weeds, peeled a bit of cedar bark for secondary and broke out a pile of dead twigs and a few sticks ... just the thing ... didn't take two minutes.
Having readied my materials, I placed a cotton-ball sized wad of 0000 steel wool in the center of my tinder bundle, and proceeded to strike a spark in it with flint and steel. It caught beautifully. As I have done so many times before, I gently wrapped my baby spark in it's blanket of wool and covered it up with tinder ... and raised it to the sky to blow it to life ... when it happened:
A chance gust of wind from nowhere ripped vigorously into my bundle and instantly turned my glowing spark into a explosive raging inferno ... only inches from my face!
![Shocked :shock:](./images/smilies/icon_eek.gif)
![Shocked :shock:](./images/smilies/icon_eek.gif)
![Confused :?](./images/smilies/icon_confused.gif)
![Confused :?](./images/smilies/icon_confused.gif)
![Exclamation :!:](./images/smilies/icon_exclaim.gif)
![Exclamation :!:](./images/smilies/icon_exclaim.gif)
Fortunately, even as the weird wind caressed my ears I immediately realized what was happening and was able to fling the fireball away from my head before it was able to do more than merely kiss my mustache ... and to stomp it out without setting my woods on fire!
Just goes to show ... doesn't matter how long you've been at it ... we can all get a surprise now and then!
![Razz :P](./images/smilies/icon_razz.gif)
![Razz :P](./images/smilies/icon_razz.gif)
![Laughing :lol:](./images/smilies/icon_lol.gif)
![Laughing :lol:](./images/smilies/icon_lol.gif)
Makes me glad I wear my hair and whiskers short ... because if they'd been long, there would have been a considerably bigger fire today!
![Shocked :shock:](./images/smilies/icon_eek.gif)
![Confused :?](./images/smilies/icon_confused.gif)
![Laughing :lol:](./images/smilies/icon_lol.gif)
![Wink :wink:](./images/smilies/icon_wink.gif)
While pondering this on the way home, I cut a length of river cane with which to fashion an impromptu blow-tube for my next time out.
There's more than one way to skin a cat!
![Razz :P](./images/smilies/icon_razz.gif)
![Laughing :lol:](./images/smilies/icon_lol.gif)
![Cool 8)](./images/smilies/icon_cool.gif)