Orange Glow
For the bulk of my childhood heating in our house was provided by fire. We had a stove in the kitchen that afforded both heat and an always-on cooking surface. The fire itself was safely tucked away behind a little door that was opened only when a draft was required to spur on the flames. But in our sitting room we had an open fire, and this was the one I loved. I could sit and stare into that fire for hours on end as another child might watch TV. There in those orange flames I saw rabbits and fish and ghosts and princesses and endless other creatures. It was an ever-changing story dancing before my eyes. It fuelled my imagination at a time when I was still reading fairy stories. I’m sure I wrote some of my own, at least in my head. We haven’t had a fire in our house for a long time, so these days the only time I get to stare into the flames is when we cook šašlykai (Lithuanian barbeque). I’m sure people think I’ve had one beer too many as I gaze into the flames and smile at the story that unfolds before me.
In these flames I see a golfer, a runner crossing a finish line, a dancer in a dress with flowing sleeves, a man reading from a book, several masks and a fish-dog with long blonde hair, to name but a few. Anyone with me?!
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I think I could see the dancer and maybe a book. Maybe the fish part of the fish-dog. Lovely post. I like to look at the clouds and see what they look like. Hubby can’t always see what I see. But that’s okay. 🙂
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I love the fact that different people see different things – it makes it all the more magical!
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I have always loved a fire. I find myself mesmerized for hours watching a fire. So much better than TV! It has warmed up here and we have not had a fire all week, I miss it.
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Sunshine is good too, though. Plenty of fires to come next winter.
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What a wonderful story…and wonderful being the operative word. I too used to stare into the flames…still do, but not in the entrancing way you do, more of wonder…like What are flames? What are they made from? Are they martter? You cannot take them and put them in a box, a bowl or a cage but yet its there and its real! What do I see?…I see a beautiful stallion rearing up on his hind legs, I see a Conductor with his baton raised for the allegro of Beethoven’s 9th, I see a plump rousting bird with a crimson crest and iridescent feathers staring contently out at the setting sun, I see that fish! I also see an angry lizard…or is he simply defending himself? I see a little vole scurrying down a hole, but only his slender tail is evident. I see an athlete shout to the sky in victory. Thanks for asking. Thanks for the enlightenment!
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Oh Gary, your comments always make me smile! Isn’t it just amazing how a little flame can fuel the imagination so beautifully!
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I see a seahorse in the first one and a horse in the second. I never thought you can do this with flames, I’ve always done clouds! Next time we light up the fire pit, I am playing this game. 🙂
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Hours of free entertainment – it’s brilliant!
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sharpens your creativity and imagination too! 🙂
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I definitely see the fish-dog 🙂 I also see a horse rearing in the first and a butterfly in the second–can you tell I love animals? 😉
Thanks for sharing!
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I’m so glad someone else saw the fish-dog – I felt strange even writing that!
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No horses for me – but there’s definitely a dragon (rhs of pic#2) with forked tongue. Got the boot and the runner crossing the finish line and the whirling dervish type dancer. Where’s the golfer?
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Yep, I see the dragon now. The golfer is overlapping with the runner and has his club drawn back over his head ready to take a swing!
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Ditto on the childhood memories. And now, I dream of making the same kind of memories with a fire pit in our yard in Serbia. Eventually, that dream will come true. 🙂
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I hope it does, T! Lots of new memories to be made.
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A fire breathing stallion escaped from the pit of hades. Of course I see horses. Lol.
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Now that you’ve mentioned horses I can see at least 3 of them. I also see a cowboy boot! 😉
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