Sitting by the fires

Tuesday's Slice of Life...

Sitting by the fires...special memories of my dad...

One of the special things I’ll always remember about my dad is how much he loved sitting by the backyard campfires.  My dad used to volunteer on the town fire department where he learned about fire and then taught us.  He always respected fire.  Just from watching him, it was obvious that he was meticulous about making sure every piece of starter paper, kindling stick, branch, and log was perfectly arranged before the fire was started.  There would always be a large bucket of water off to the side in case of fire jumping to a place it wasn’t wanted.  Once the kindling caught, the fire would begin to burn brightly in the tire rim urn outlined with bricks.  When old enough, the kids were finally allowed to help build and start the fire and use the coveted poker stick!  The “poker stick” was the perfect tool to nudge and rearrange logs so that the embers continued to flicker-flame and catch the other logs ablaze causing the fire to burn late into the wee hours of the morning.

Gathering around the fire made for an inviting time together, especially on cool summer and fall nights.  Anyone and everyone who came to the Farkas Fire Pit always had a good time.  The crowd was sometimes just family, sometimes just friends, sometimes old and young-or just married couples on a date night away from the kids.   The point is, no matter who gathered to exchange conversation, tell a story or play games, Dad’s cozy fire was always put together with love.  As my sister-in-law so lovingly puts it, the fire pit was a place to warm the cockles of our hearts.

Anyone who pulled up a chair to gather learned that nature was always part of the experience as well.  Watching the moon come up on the horizon, play hide and seek behind the clouds and shine brightly in the midnight sky was especially appealing.  Listening to the chirp and tweet of the crickets, the buzz of the cicada and the often annoying buzz of the mosquito were so pleasant when heard through dad’s ears. 

Dad always noticed the formation of the clouds as signals for when to douse the fire as the lightning would dance in the sky. Dad would watch for planes heading for other airport destinations determining if they headed east, west, or north of our house.  He taught us to enjoy nature’s outdoor treat while we sat to chat!  Sitting by the fires is a special experience I’ll always remember with DAD!  Thanks Dad, for all of these fireside experiences!  Love you!