Woodland living is elemental, and at this time of the year our primary element is fire. We gravitate to the fire for warmth and food. It punctuates our day, provides ritual and rhythm. We have had Mistletoe Wood for three years and our means of making fire has developed.

My brother. who works the wood with me is, frankly, a pyromaniac. Embarrassingly I started with a lighter as ignition, some rather damp dead standing and some split knotty beech.   I soon learned that I am a smoke goddess and it wants to bathe me in acrid fumes.   Subsequently I have followed my brother's lead with ferro rod, properly gleaned fingers and thumbs. and some dry split ash.   Ash die back has given us a good supply. My intrepid brother has tried so many sorts of ignition and methods it’s bewildering but upside down fires, rudiger rolls and a portable firebox are part of our repertoire.

Having managed to make fire, the crucial skill is putting it out.  Our first summer in the wood was 2022 with drought and wild fires.   We made beaters, dug a pit but the real issue was water.   We have no stream or pond but we do have the Bothy roof and with some Heath Robinson guttering we now have a water butt full of emergency extinguisher, you wouldn’t want to drink it though!

In autumn nothing beats a slowly cooked camenbert and a baked apple filled with mincemeat and a splash of beechwood noyau.   Fire is truly our friend.

smoke goddess ?