Seems like you made out okay. Is your camera's color balance off? It looks like the base of the flames in the second to last picture are purple. <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/crazy.gif" alt="" />

Something you might want to practice is laying a more structured fire, which can really speed things along. Some people advocate a "teepee" style, others are into log cabins or other pseudo-architectural forms. As long as the fuel is stacked in such a way that it surrounds the initial flame as much as possible without obstructing air intake at the base, you're good. The point here is that if you have your fuel all arranged and ready to go, you can work on getting your flame using a scrap of bark or something as a work surfface and then put it into the ready made "hut". The fire should grow much more quickly this way than building it "openly" , which is losing a ton of heat to the air.

<img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" />

Burning stuff is great fun. There is always a thrill at awakening a lively fire using nothing more than a bit of applied metallurgy or friction. It is vastly more interactive than using chemical fuels, more satisfying, more "I made this happen". I suspect that some people I know think I'm a pyromanic.