Campfire story? Cumbaya who?

Call this a shot in the dark, but I gave up rather quickly on my last attempt to create a collaborative story. Fear not, though! I have not given up entirely, my vigor has been renewed, my ambitions recast, my future (if you believe in free will) turned down a new path.

Imagine we're all around a campfire. Picture a duraflame log, a firestarter, or even the dragon Smaug from "The Hobbit" helping to keep the campfire going on this eternal night. Picture a beer in your left hand and a carved stick with a hot dog or marshmallow speared on the end in your right, and imagine that someone starts a story. Me. But this story isn't going around in a circle, it goes to whoever wants to pick it up. Here are the rules:

1. You add to the story by posting to the comments (if you're reading this in email format, you have to go to the blog to post, here), once a story is completed, I'll compile everything and repost so no clicking has to be done. I'll edit the compilation, so to speak.
2. A story will go on as long as it has to, and end only when it should. There is no time limit or amount of additions.
3. You can add as little as a sentence and as much as a novel. As far as I'm concerned, there are no constraints. I'm curious to see what happens.
4. If, however unlikely, no one adds on to the story, I will take a deep breath, look around the eternal campfire, and continue myself. I will do this every two weeks, on the second and fourth Thursdays of each month, until the story has signalled its end.
5. Pictures relevant to the story are welcome and needed. If you or anyone you know can draw, hook it up!
6. No cuss words. These are family stories people! Partial nudity is acceptable (pasties and butt shots, no frontals).
7. In the event that you have signed up for the mailing list on this blog and find this idea completely lame, if you hate reading stories or if my writing or anyone else's bores you and you want to be taken off the mailing list, just let me know. I will send assassins to your home at night while you sleep where they will torture you while listening to an eclectic mix of Indian Punjabi music and motivational speaker introductions. No, but seriously, if this annoys you, let me know, and I will have you tortured, I mean I'll take you off the mailing list.

This is a lot to write and then post a story. So keep this in mind as I will be posting the first part of the story this Thursday. In the meantime, stay away from people with crazy hair!