The service where all the pictures are hosted for this thread is shutting down. I have reposted all the pictures at a different site, but GardenWeb does not allow me to edit my posts to change all the links. Here's a page with all the pictures on it. Don't miss the tiny "page 2" link at the top of the page. Here is a link that might be useful: Pictures for this thread

on_greenthumb, your firepit area is lovely. I really like that. I love the idea of a rubble patio, and perhaps can use that as the center of ours (which we hope to put in late summer or early fall). However it has to be flat (unlike my walkway of broken concrete: each source comes with a different thickness) for my Mom and my pal (who is blind) to navigate more easily than the front walk (which I will need to get laid flatter, eventually). I think if you plan on using really heavily weighted items like a stone fireplace, grill island, sink etc. you need at least some of the area poured. We plan on having a "primitive" kitchen (mostly cement items) around the edges, so we need stability: we also need a footer for a knee wall around the edge to keep any flooding waters off the patio and kitchen area. That said, I really want to keep things as do-it-yourself as possible. I have fun doing projects like hosenemesis patio area - and enjoy the feeling of a job well accomplished! on_greenthumb's area would be a nice "landing" for a hammock. Someone gave me a hammock last fall, and once we get some backyard happening, I'd like to find a place for DH to snuggle down into the garden and relax...

We sort of have one...but nothing nice...Last year Denny put a bunch of concrete block around where we burn it looked pretty nice until we had a BIG fire...the concrete blocks all turned a pinkish red color and crushed into dust....lol... So ours is still just a scoop out of the ground. Maybe we'll try again this year... But we do have fires out there a lot. And enjoy sitting around them cooking hot dogs or whatever. We never have fires small enough to cook over. We do our cooking on the grill or our chimnea. It has a grill that swings out to put the food on then we push it back inside. patti

eyoung- Here's a link to the store where I purchased the bowl. I don't think they deliver but any nearby outdoor specialty store should have a selection of outdoor bowls to chose from. Just make sure it is a clay fired bowl so it can withstand the heat and tell them what you are using it for so they can make recommendations. http://www.cornercollectiononline.com/gsb.htm The fire ring kit and feather rock was purchased from fire pit outfitters per link below. They do deliver and I ended up with one of the manual spark ignition kits instead of the electronic ignition kits. When you see the pricing, you'll know why! There is also a match lit kit if your budget is tight and you don't mind manually opening the gas valve and lighting the fire ring with a match. Note, the manual kit does not have any flame out protection, so if the flame does go out, the valve will have to be shut off manually to prevent gas from flooding the area and creating a hazardous situation. Both the direct spark ignition and electronic ignition kits have flame out protection. http://firepitoutfitter.com/index.asp?PageAction=COMPANY I then converted the manual kit over to an electronic kit using the components below. Note, you can also buy the electronic ignition kit directly from firepit outfitters but it will cost a lot more than the conversion components I describe below. The advantage, of course, is you won't have to hassle with the conversion and you'll know that the kit will work out of the box if installed properly. Here's the electronic conversion parts. These parts can be found online or at a local HVAC Center or Appliance Parts Center. Gas Valve - Electric Direct Spark Ignition Control Module with flame out detection Flame Sensor - Electric The manual spark ignition kit already has a spark ignitor included in the kit but the flame sensor with the kit is a mechanical one so it needed to be upgraded to electric. The ignition control module will be controlled by our pool automation system and turn the fire pit on/off with the hand held pool remote. Also very important, allowances for air flow are critical to ensure the temperature does not exceed 175 degrees F where the electronics and gas valve are housed to avoid damage to them. This includes adequate intake openings at the bottom of the bowl to allow cool air in and adequate openings around the pan to allow the hot air to escape upwards without restriction. If any of this does not make sense, I would recommend consulting with a local professional such as an electrician, plumber or HVAC technician who has experience making these parts work together safely. Hope this helps!