Time for an update on the backyard fire ring. I finally got the bench top installed and I’m pretty pleased with the results. I debated a lot about using redwood or the plastic/wood alternatives. Ultimately, the decision was in favor of redwood because of the sagging and heat absorption that can occur with the man-made stuff.
We’ll need to get a basket of seat cushions, and I’d like to fill the area between the ring and the benches with gravel, but Andy is convinced it is ready for a back yard bonfire. This project ought to top out at 0 with those extras, but it should last for years.
The blackout dates on our Disneyland passes are finally over, so we can get back to the Happiest Place on Earth. We love meeting up with family and friends for evenings in the park. Michael and Obed come down from LA often, and we always have a great time.
Today is the first of the month and that means hovering around the computer at 7:59 AM trying for the best reservations when they open at eight. I’ve tried unsuccessfully for years to get one of the cottages at Crystal Cove State Beach, but my luck changed! This morning I got reservations for this cottage a short walk from the Beach and Ruby’s Shake Shack. In March, we’ll leave La Rana in storage and spend the weekend in this quaint cottage, built in 1938. It’ll be a full moon, so midnight beach combing!
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This isn’t really about camping, but it is about campfires. With the sun going down so late, I’ve been able to do some puttering outside after work. We have at least a couple backyard campfires a month so I’ve wanted some benches out there. Last year I salvaged eight telephone pole segments from a drive-through getting a landscape remodel. The long boards were salvaged from some cement forms when I built the fence. That means I’ve only spent on the bolts to assemble the frame. The bench top will be a little pricey, but I’m making it out of recycled decking. I’ll get Andy to dig out the soil around the fire ring and backfill it with gravel. It should be a nice little social area when it gets done.
