I had a bit of a breakthrough in my food-smoking technique today. I used to start my fires by lighting the hardwood charcoal with the propane flame. Today, I pulled out my inner boyscout and figured I’d just build a fire as one normally would, and build my charcoal fire on the heat of the wood coals. I had some beaver chips – wood a beaver had chewed off a tree while cutting it down – that I picked up on our walk long ago, which made a fine fire. The charcoal lit far better on wood coals, and the whole smoking experience has been a treat. I need me some more beaver chips. Well, fire wood from the ravine will do. And I need to find a nice heavy-duty tray/pan to hold my fires in the future…