As it turned out, we also had a very large cottonwood tree removed from our yard this summer. It had been dying back every year since we moved into our house, and was over half dead when we had it taken out. By the way, getting a tree of that size removed is very very expensive. And a quick note for anyone considering planting a cottonwood tree in their yard: don't. They grow very fast and can provide lots of shade, but they are also not long lived trees. They are very messy (even cotton-less cottonwoods drop tons of branches and leaves throughout the year), they have large shallow spreading roots that can cut off your sprinkler system, and they are expensive to maintain and remove. If you want a shade tree, there are many better options.
So, what does this have to do with a fire pit? Well, after removing our tree, we had a hole in the yard where the stump had been ground out along with a large pile of wood shavings. At first we figured we would have to fill in the hole completely and plant grass there after removing the shavings. Then it came to us; why not just make a place for our fire pit there?
So, that is exactly what we did.
And besides enjoying fires, what else does one do with a fire pit? Roast marshmellows and make s'mores of course!
It really is a lot of fun to go outside and enjoy a fire while Austin runs around our yard pulling his wagon.
