The Fire Pit

I have always loved sitting around a camp fire. And there is no finer sight than to see your dog sitting at the hearth with a fire burning. Florida is not big on fire places in homes although every now and again you do get to see one.

While picking up some paint at a local discount store, I saw a fire pit. It wasn't very expensive or large. We have a small concrete patio where the barbeque lives with little else there. Since the evenings have turned cooler, I figured the fire pit might be a welcome addition.

I wondered how the dog would react to the fire pit with a fire in it. The first evening I tried, he spent most of his time running and sniffing a new part of the yard. He didn't pay much attention at all. He did come over and lie down for a few minutes, but the fire wasn't much of a draw.

The second evening I built a fire was cooler than the first attempt. The warmth of the fire was a draw and he came over and stayed nearby for a while. The firewood was from a grapefruit tree that had died in the freeze last winter and had been standing for a season. The wood was dry and didn't give off much smoke. I had put the fire pit on a block pedestal so the light and heat was raised up. It was at a comfortable height for both of us.