Backyard Fire Pits

Outdoor firepits have become quite a popular addition to the backyard for many homeowners. The attraction of sitting by an open fire goes back thousands of years, or just few years to the stories told by cowboys sitting around the campfire, or just back to your childhood to the days of camping with your family. In many parts of the country it is traditional to have a fire pit in the backyard.

One of the easiest ways to get a fire pit in your back yard is to build one yourself. The process for building a fire pit is pretty simple. A basic hole in the ground can work well, but the opportunities go on up to a fine stone pit built by a stone mason, complete with a gas fire. A masonry fire pit is often built using a firepit ring.

To build one in the ground, start with a hole about 3 feet in diameter. Be sure to put the hole away from your utility connections. It needs to be located away from buildings and trees so that the ashes don't spread the fire. Make sure you aren't near utility lines, and dig a hole about 3 feet across and a couple of feet deep. Pack the sides so they don't collapse, and its a good idea to line the edges with stones or racks. Stacking them up several inches will add a nice visual touch and keep folks from stumbling into the pit. Adding rock to the bottom of the pit will help to stabilize it.

If you would rather not have an open pit, or would prefer to have the fire pit up on the patio or the deck you still have some options. A fire pit table is a setup that works well on a deck. It looks like a normal patio table, but but the middle can be opened up and a fire built right in the table.

If you want to have a fire but are bothered by the danger from sparks flying about or don't want to bother with keeping the wood fuel around and dry enough to use, you may want to use a gas fire pit. Gas fire pits are also ash free, and you can easily control the level of the fire with the gas level. If you can't have a gas fire pit a propane fire pit will have many of the same advantages, but is fueled by a simple propane tank. These are often the same tanks that you will find for a BBQ grill, and can be refueled at many hardware stores and groceries stores.

You are sure to enjoy one of these fire pit options. It's great entertainment for your backyard guests.

She'll be coming round the mountain when she comes, toot! toot! She'll be comin' round the mountain when she comes, toot! toot!
She'll be comin' round the mountain, she'll be comin' round the mountain, She'll be comin' round the mountain when she comes, toot! toot!

She'll be drivin' six white horses when she comes (Whoa Back! (pull on reins)
Oh, we'll all go out to meet her when she comes, Hi there! (wave)
Then we'll kill the old red rooster when she comes, chop chop (make chopping motion)
And we'll all have chicken and dumplings when she comes, yum! yum! (rub stomach)
Oh she'll wear her red pajamas when she comes, scratch! scratch! (scratch sides)
Oh she'll have to sleep with Grandma when she comes, Snore! Snore! (make snoring sound)
She'll be coming round the mountain when she comes, toot! toot!

Kum ba yah my Lord, Kum ba yah
Kum ba yah my Lord, Kum ba yah
Kum ba yah my Lord, Kum ba yah
Kum ba yah my Lord, O, Lord, Kum ba yah!

Someone's crying my Lord, Kum ba yah
Someone's laughing my Lord, Kum ba yah
Someone's singing my Lord, Kum ba yah
Someone's praying my Lord, Kum ba yah

Translation of Kum ba yah: come by here

SOURCE: Wee Sing Sing-Alongs

Hush little baby, don't say a word.
Papa's gonna buy you a mockingbird.
If that mockingbird don't sing, Papa's gonna buy you a diamond ring.
If that diamond ring turns brass, Papa's gonna buy you a looking glass.
If that looking glass gets broke, Papa's gonna buy you a billy goat.
If that bill goal don't pull, Papa's gonna buy you a cart and bull.
If that cart and bull turn over, Papa's gonna buy you a dog named Rover.
If that dog named Rover don't bark, Papa's gonna buy you a horse and cart.
If that horse and cart fall down, You'll still be the sweetest little baby in town.

SOURCE: Wee Sing Children's Songs and Fingerplays

1. In a cavern, in a canyon, excavating for a mine, dwelt a miner, forty-niner and his daughter, Clementine.
Oh, my darling, Oh, my darling, Oh my darling, Clementine.
You are lost and gone forever, dreadful sorry Clementine.

SOURCE: Wee Sing Sing-Alongs