I learned a great deal about a great many things the summer I traveled with Dusty from New Mexico up the Pacific Coast and into Montana.

When we pulled into the KOA in Crescent City, California and shopped in its grocery section for eggs, soup and snacks, Dusty made sure we bought a batch of firewood despite packing a fancy cooking pot with its own heating element. I hadn’t planned to buy firewood, but who doesn’t enjoy a campfire?

Of course she knew what she was doing; redwood country gets pretty chilly at night because the trees put out so much moisture. A very large tree can release up to 500 gallons of water into the air in a day.
I’d never had formal campfire training, but I did pick up a couple of things along the way as the mother of a Cub Scout. I methodically arranged the kindling into a teepee shape and the firewood in a larger teepee around it.

One match. Two matches. Three matches and voila! I made a three-match fire! I was pretty proud of myself and hooted and hollered about my success.

The next morning when I got back from the bath house, Dusty had a one-match campfire going.

My takeaway? Celebrate your successes, but don’t rest on your laurels!