Most of us are cautious in starting fires. However, with this being summer and camping season, our thoughts turn to camp fires. I can remember some dry years, not so many years ago, where camp fires were forbidden because of danger, but with the rain of this spring and early summer, there is little reason for concern.
So, after the glorious fireworks at Tigerton on the Fourth of July, I was all set to have a backyard campfire at my son’s house. However, heavy dew seemed to have dampened things enough that the fire never got going, so those longed for s’mores were postponed till the next day, at my house.
I did a couple of things that morning to prepare. One was to search for empty cardboard egg cartons. I found two, and a half a one left from last year. Then I rescued all the dryer lint from the waste basket in the laundry room, and stuffed the lint into the holes where the eggs had been.
The next thing I did was melt a candle, using my candle warming unit. I just placed an old encased candle on it, and it slowly melted. Then, when it cooled enough to handle, but before it had hardened, I gently poured it over the lint in the egg cartons. It quickly hardened up, and I closed up the cartons, which were now ready for use in the fire pit.
When my son and his family came over, I placed a carton in the pit, and added some paper, and smaller twigs. A match quickly got things going, and larger pieces of wood were added. It wasn’t long before a nice fire was going, and the cover could be placed on the pit.
That is when the marshmallows got put onto the toasting prongs and were put over the fire. My first try got a marshmallow that was barely warm, and the chocolate was hardly melted. Still, it was yummy. A little later, I tried again and succeeded to get the marshmallow in flames; how I laughed at that.
All in all, the four of us had a wonderful late afternoon, visiting, making and eating s’mores, and enjoying the glorious weather.
I couldn’t help but think that afternoon was sweet, with marshmallow, chocolate and graham crackers, but most of all, a relaxing afternoon with family. What could be better?
That got me to thinking it is time to start planning a grandkid day. Where to go? What to do? Now that many of my grandkids are getting older, they have jobs; some are married with children of their own.
I suspect that only a couple of the younger ones will want to spend a grandkid day with grandma. My youngest granddaughter told me a couple of weeks ago that she has led a sheltered life.
“Why is that?” I asked her. While I know she hasn’t gotten to do everything a lot of kids do, she has had many other experiences.
“I never got to go mini golfing,” she said.
I laughed at that, but my mind quickly thought that part of the grandkid trip should involve mini golfing. Part of the day could also be spent here, around the fire pit. After all, I have prepared egg cartons left over, as well as the makings of s’mores.
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