HOw To FUTURE FIRE PIT AREA

Now this wasn't this weekend, this actually all happened over the last couple of  month and I realized I needed to put up a post about it before it got too late.  

A couple of years ago, I blogged about our first burn pile.  Well, we've been cleaning up other areas bit by bit and we ended up with another huge pile.  We're not doing doing this anymore.  It gets out of control too quickly and looks horrible in the front yard.  Not to mention there's no telling what is living there! 

We're all about "curb appeal" now (for lack of a better description) so the house and yard look nice (albeit empty, LOL) when we pull up every time.  It's much less stressful when you don't see a giant pile in the front yard.

Thankfully, "R" from 2nd Family came to the rescue and said he would burn it for us while we weren't there and then clear off whatever didn't burn.  He did this over a few days and "J" took a picture for me.  

FYI it looks close to the barn and shed but that's just the camera angle. 

After burning most of a day, this is what was left.  

He burned the last few bits when I was out there to work on the garden last month and then he hauled off a big branch/stump for us that just wouldn't burn.  I was anxious to get mowing, as you can tell, ha. 

Future fire pit area

After it was all gone, I got on the mower and cleaned it off nice and smooth.  Here is the end result.  Now all the grass is starting to grow back but we think we'll keep this same area.  It seems positioned just right to be far enough from the house and the barn/shed so we could have a nice fire going (but still within water hose reach just in case).

Not sure what the exact diameter will be but we can make it big enough for a fire pit in the center, and then an area around around it for chairs, benches, or whatever we decide to put in.  Several of you have mentioned in comments over the years when I posted images on an Inspiration Thursday that fully in ground fire pits have their own unique challenges and above ground generally were the best option.  We'll most likely do something that is a combination of both, sort of set into the ground but having sides that extend up above the ground using a steel ring.  Stay tuned for some picture ideas as we decide.

This is all part of the project planning list and gets it one step closer to fruition.  2nd Man said "let's get it done this Summer and then it will be ready for next Fall/Winter..."  We'll see, I've got some other projects to finish first but so far so good on those!  This let us scratch off the first part of the project, clearing the spot so that it's ready for the rest of the work to be done.