Oct 1, 20193 min read

The Allure of a Crackling Fire...

What is it that draws us to a crackling fire? What happens to us when we stare into a fire? How can such a small event change us so drastically, sometimes only for a little while, sometimes forever?

Right after we moved into my home years ago, we decided to have a Halloween party at the creek. The first thing we thought of was fire. We needed fire. We had built a fire pit at one of the seating areas on the upper level with rock and it was ready to go, but it wasn't enough. We had a burn barrel and it would certainly be fun, but it was on the meadow level on the bank. We wanted fire on the fifty-foot wide rock shoals in the creek, where it would be wonderful to sit while the creek rushed around us. With research, we discovered that you should not burn a fire directly on rock because it could cause the rock to shatter below, so we purchased an inexpensive fire pits with legs for the creek area.

The night was very cool and we soon learned that it was a good 10 degrees cooler by the creek than on the meadow level so guests eventually gravitated to the burn barrel. Due to lack of a proper fire pit on the bank, the old barrel became the hit of the night. With jackets and throws, we were comfortable by the fire. One of the guests, a metal worker, had brought me an incredible tool he had made to turn the fire in the barrel and it work great. We had a large collection of chairs and I was seated in a metal one. The party finally broke up around one o'clock in the morning and when I started walking up to the house, that's when I realized I was warm and toasty on the front side and my back side was frozen! But it was so much fun!

Fire is one of the most calming elements we encounter. Even if you are fortunate to be surrounded by family and friends around a fire pit, soon everyone will drift into their own inner private space in their mind. They may just be enjoying the moment, they may be solving an immediate problem, or they may be relaxed enough to see things clearly and make a life changing decision. That's what fire does for us ... it causes us to totally relax.

Having a fire pit at home is easy and something everyone can enjoy.

Our friend, Henry Hine with Millstones.com creates the most incredible Fire Pits from old maple syrup kettles. He has been collecting them for years, and his deep love of history drives him to secure as many details about each individual syrup kettle as possible. The kettles he has sold are all over the US, and in both residential and commercial sites.

Henry has all size kettles and can also instruct you how to set it up. If you have a landscape designers who is creating the ultimate site for your fire pit, he will be happy to work with them as well. If you want a truly spectacular Fire Pit, you can contact Henry through Millstones.com but you can also find him outside the North Building at Scott Antique Market and outside the courtyard at Lakewood 400 Antiques Market. And if you are lucky enough to go to Round Top for the extravagant antiques show in Texas, you will find Henry in the Big Red Barn.

A few of Henry's installations ...

Anyone can build a fire pit. All you need are some rocks to surround the fire and a grate to allow air to flow under the fire. Grates are available at most hardware stores or flea markets. But there are so many fire pits available today, you may find it easier to just search online, order one and have it delivered to your door. Even if you life alone, you can enjoy a fire pit.

Some of our favorites:

These are all wood burning fire pits. Gas and propane burning are also available.

Click on any photo for details or to order!