trying to start fires without matches or lighter

So its december and ya it gets cold in the desert, at night that is...and when you need fire you should know how to make it. Tracker Greg come over one day and we was talking and got to the topic of the hand drill fire starting method. So he started to demonstrate how its done. He went to his truck and got his kit, fire board and spindle. Showed me how to do it. (See video), he got smoke but no amber. I had a give at it to no ad-vale so we used the thumb drill to start the night fire. The next day i gave it another try, got smoke and a hand full of blisters as result. Huh, while talking about my blisters to the folks about town, they all respond, " use a bow drill". So thats what I have tried. I got a soltol stalk for the fire board and spindle, a willow spring for the bow and a cupped rock for my hand block, and made cordage out of the yucca leaves. I first got to it and smoke started right away...all right piece of cake... then the cordage broke and the sun was going down. So I grabbed some more yucca and started to mash the leaves so to get the fibers to bind into new cordage, and hurry the sun was so to be down and the cold is a coming. Just as the sun creased below the ridge, the new bow string was set. I got to bowing and bam got a coal, got the tinder burning and then my hand as i tried to get to the fire. The coal drops out and the tinder starts to die... i blow trying to get flame, but instead get a face full of smoke... it was a cold night with out fire... but soon I will be warm with the knowledge of the fire spirt but till then know its brother the cold. When all else fails drink a case of shiner and fall asleep on the wood pile like Jossie. Did you see the plants Jupiter and Venus and the sliver of a moon make that tight triangle. Here is a photo from Dec 1. here is more fun through water in the desert. Been going some hiking in the near to home kind of way and here are some shots of the ranch from far away (ya that speck out there is my land) Some pics are from the top of black messa...thats black messa behind the out house



Also got to track a deer which was not very old tracks and scat, and came upon the resting spot, no i did not see it but it left this great track of its body and knees. Note the indent near the water bottle. Finally merry christmas to all...here is my desert xmas tree