Simply Thankful

Thanksgiving dinner at our house this year was a pretty simple affair, but enjoyable none the less. It was just the six of us, but we make a pretty good crowd around the table and generally have no trouble devouring large quantities of food, no matter what the occasion. We prettied up the table to make it feel a little more festive, then Andrea roasted a Fisk chicken, we mashed some spuds to go with the gravy and rounded out the feast with some green beans, a salad, peaches and some home made buscuits. Then apple pie for dessert, yum!

 

Firepad

At the back corner of our property there is a nice sheltered spot that works pretty well for bonfires and other such gatherings. Unfortunately, the hill slopes down gently to the fence, so it isn't very easy to set up chairs or to keep small children from rolling away. Thus motivated Summer Project #3: The Firepad.

 

I started digging in March, cutting a semi-circle into the hillside and building out a pad that seemed to be a reasonable size for a bonfire.

Then I made it bigger. Twice. After sporadic digging all summer and some attention by dad this fall, the pad was finally starting to look right. I called it good and ordered some block for the retaining wall.

I borrowed a tractor (thanks Harold!) and Aaron came to help shovel gravel and lug blocks. Kenrick and Paxton helped too.

The blocks stacked up quickly once the base was packed and leveled so by lunchtime thing were starting to look pretty good. Kenrick checks the plan.

I finished up the caps and smoothed the dirt around the wall last week, so I can officially put this project to bed for the winter. I'm pretty happy with how it turned out - it will look a little better when the grass grows in and when I figure out what I want for a fire pit, but we should be able to pile up some brush and try it out before then. Bonfire anyone?

Pruning Paxton

Before

 During

 After