We have a fire pit in out back yard. People who live in other cities can't really believe this. "YOU can have FIRES in your back yard???!!" they will often say when we talk about our (almost nightly) burnings back there. And while I am not entirely clear about the fire policies and by-laws in our city, I do believe that it is still legal to have a fire pit in your back yard and actually use it to burn things, as long as it is enclosed with a screen and at least ten feet away from any flammable object such as your house or garage.
Having fires always makes me a little nervous. I really like fires. I am mesmerized by them. I like to poke them with sticks. I like to start them (in appropriate places of course) and I really like how they warm you up on cool spring/summer/fall/winter evenings.
But I also worry about fires.
Will the fire become to large and uncontrollable?
Will we accidentally burn a piece of wood that has paint on it and make a hole in the ozone layer?
Will our neighbours accidentally think our house is on fire and call the fire department??
Will the fire department accidentally think our house is on fire and take it upon themselves to come over and put it out??
Will the smoke bother our nieghbours??
Will we have enough beer to feed the guests who are bound to show up??
Will our fire pit be able to sustain the use it gets??
Will we have enough wood??
Do I have to go and buy more wood and 7-11? That wood sucks and is really expensive.
Of course, the weight of the worry is always outwieghed by the satisfaction of hanging out with friends around the fire. Dee if you are reading this, I wish you could share this with us tonight.
