Cool Nights - Hot Fire Pit

As the nights cool down after the summer, many of us like to sit out under the stars and discuss the day's events. A fire pit will extend that time into the late fall and winter seasons. Since the pits come with a wire lid, no one can complain about your private fire place.

Enjoy the warmth of the fire close to your feet and the marvelous shadows that the cut outs of the fire basket cast out onto the yard or patio walls. We love have some quite time just for the two of us - sometimes with a glass of wine, sometimes with a cup of coco.

Fire pits come in all sorts of shapes and sizes - some geared to provide you will warmth, some act as a lighting source. But wonderful things happen while you cuddle with your children around a fire. The stories can range from family tales of a generational nature or ghost stories or just plain family talk. You remember, questions and answers like 'How was your day today?" or "Did you have a good time doing ..."

You can drink hot chocolate with marshmallows floating on top of the cup - ready to jump to your upper lip! Building memories that your children with share with theirs. Just think, you can start a tradition that may go on for many generations.

If you like to camp, this is one way to bring back those memories as well. Sitting around a campfire at night, once the sun has set, is one thing all campers share in common - one of the best ways to bring the day to a close.

A fire pit can also add a space that you and your love can spend time with just each other. There is nothing quite like sitting in the open air, smelling all the wondrous scents that nature gives us, holding hands and watching the fire dance in the pit.

You can have a fire that is fueled by wood or gas. It is a great thing that we can have gas plumbed nearly anywhere these days. You can have gas fireplaces in your living room, den, bedroom or multiple places in your yard. We all have seen the dancing flames in the meddle of a pool at the resorts - you can do that at home as well. The point is, you can have a little magic for your quiet, romantic times as well. Remember that gas also comes in portable tanks that you can use with your fireplaces.

There are fireplace tables now which are great for socializing. Imagine fire coming up out of the middle of a patio table while you sit around it.

Fire pits can set the environment for your time - so enjoy the cool nights and the dancing flames. But most of all, enjoy your family, your love and your time.

Although your back yard may not be this large, you may still want to feel the heat from a fire pit or a backyard fire place. I have seen some wonderful fire places built from stone gathered from a river close by or flat stones (bought at the local Home Depot or Lowe's).

We built one with concrete border blocks - not the best use but they were sitting around doing nothing so we used them. We built a fire place that is about 7-8 feet in diameter and 18 inches tall. It is great for burning tree trimmings and other things like that. When there is a backyard party, the brightly burning fire is always a drawing card. People will naturally gather around a fire, whether it is chilly or not. Guess the cavemen knew they were on to something when they brough fire back to their caves!

A fire pit or fire place does have the unique ability to make people want to open up and chat - about the big and little things in their lives. Normally, the smaller the group the more in depth conversations will be.

A bottle of wine or cups of hot chocolate will warm the hands as the flames dance in the pit - with all of us watching in fascination as the fire consumes the wood. We are old creatures at heart - and fire is still one that we consider a wonder.