March in
upstate New York was mild. Pete and I
got out to fish the day after Opening Day and we each caught fish, small brook
and brown trout.
Then
winter came back, with a dusting of snow on Sunday April 3rd and
four inches the following day.
Since
then, the spring has shaken off the rain and the cold and it’s very agreeable
at home. People on the West Coast and
Great Lakes are also reporting nice weather.
With the
arrival of the good weather, there’s a drive to get outside again.
Our
outside now has a simple and reasonably-priced glider for two people and a
moveable fire pit, both courtesy of The Christmas Tree Shop. These items may also be available at CostPlus World Market, which seems to have some of the merchandise of the Christmas
Tree Shop.
We tested
these outdoor accessories this past Saturday night.
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| dusk in the neighborhood |
With a
moveable fire pit, serious outdoor fire builders need to think smaller than
they would with a dug fire pit or a campfire.
The manufacturer of our fire pit recommends fewer, smaller pieces of
wood than can be fed into a campfire.
They also recommend having a fire at least 20 feet away from the house -
- and to have water nearby, in case
things flare up.
 |
We had
small pieces of well-seasoned hardwood that, when split, fit perfectly into the
pan of the fire pit. With two or three
matches, a nest of old papers and a bunch of wind-fall twigs, the fire caught
on in no time. It wasn’t the famous one
match fire of the seasoned outdoor pros, but it started up and kept going.
With any
fire, there’s a need to be flexible on seating arrangements. When I have a fire, the main rule seems to be
that the smoke will always blow to where I am sitting - - regardless of how
many times I move.
In a
welcome change from these circumstances, smoke from our Saturday night fire
either went straight up or kept blowing in one direction.
Our night
had a moon that was a bit past half. The
mosquitoes are back, but we had about an hour and half grace period before they
became annoying. The fire was descending
to just embers at this point. We put it
out carefully and easily found our way inside with the moonlight.
