Campfire Park

Welcome to Campfire Park where the campfire’s always cracking and visitors are always welcome.

Buck and Paste
And how it compares to other great inventions

In the great debate …

Of humanities greatest invention:

Buck gives a short tutorial on “Cut and Pasting”

It probably varies according to who you ask. Going back to the beginning, many would say the wheel, or any of the other six simple tools (wedge, screw, lever, pulley, inclined plane and the wheel and axle). From a more contemporary viewpoint, others might say the microwave oven, the automobile, the computer, the mobile phone, and probably not the toaster, although I would give it a vote (I toast all my bread). The camera, moving pictures, the airplane and the printing press probably also rank high. And for that matter, whoever invented writing in general, has to get a vote. Speaking of writing, AM Radio host Buck Buckner from In The Bunker is solidly of the mindset that the fine art of “cut and paste” ranks high on the list of the greatest inventions of the modern age.

To be sure, it’s as good a campfire question as there is: What tops your list as the greatest invention of all time?

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My Top 5: (5) ball point pen, (4) the clock, (3) duct tape, (2) car radio, (1) the toaster.

Campfire Questions
And why the answers don't matter

Some questions are best asked

Around the campfire.

The answer may surprise you

The reason why depends on a number of things. What’s said around the campfire stays around the campfire has to be high on the list. Part truth serum and part ring of trust, there’s an unspoken rule around the campfire that whatever you say there is between the people present and the crackling embers, and rendered in the end to a pile of flakey ash. Another reason may be the ambiguous nature of the answer, or its complexity, or a general acknowledgement that whatever was asked could never be fully solved or understood, just pondered out loud around the popping embers and flame. Maybe, too, it’s the relaxation reflex that kicks in, allowing the conversation to twist and turn in any number of directions without care or concern if the question gets fully explored, or maybe instead opens doors to new questions or quandaries that weren’t directly asked. The truth about the campfire: It has a mysterious way. It lends itself to nonlinear thinking and pregnant pauses of saying nothing at all.

A campfire question is less about the answer than allowing the mind wander to wherever it needs to go.

Scenic Muscovy Lake?
Art of balancing protection and access

Here at Campfire Park …

We like to let people enjoy nature.

Cowboy has a plan, but will it work?

But sometimes people can love nature too much. Too many people in one spot can start to leave impacts. Such was the case at Scenic Lake when an unexpected visitor arrived: A Muscovy Duck. Just as quickly the visitors cleared out. (Let’s just say it isn’t the most majestic of creatures). Departure of the duck eventually led to a return of the visitors and the tell-tale impacts of over use they left behind. The solution? The Lake was aptly renamed Scenic Muscovy Lake. It was that inspired naming convention that led to just the right balance of preservation and visitation.