Norse Style Fire Pit

In the picture you will see a pit with some rocks encasing the perimeter. This was one of the first projects that was done on The Norsemen Ranch after buying the property. The reason for this was I love sitting by the fire after a long day of work, also it does come in handy when you have projects that require fire. It was made from the concept of a Danish hearth that most commonly would have been built in the center of their longhouses. It was essential to staying warm in the cold temperatures of Scandinavia but also it was a place to gather with family and friends. This one was built as you can see outside, even had a french drain installed in the lowest corner to allow for water to flow out of it. No one wants to go to their fire pit after a rain and see a little pond has formed.

This was a project that was completed before I married my wife and if we were married at the time she probably would have laughed at my stubbornness and my ignorance of how difficult of a job this would turn out to be. Looking back I do not know what I was thinking, why I continued doing it the way I was doing it or how it came out to be such a nice fire pit. So for anyone that is familiar with Missouri and the earth that you have in the southern part of the state it is a combination of rock, more rock and a little more rock with a touch of clay and a hint of dirt in it. For most people when they choose to work the earth here they have a tractor, a skidsteer or even an excavator. Some also know how digging in the earth can still be difficult if you have the heavy equipment.

Well, when my decision to build this fire pit was made, I set out to what I thought was going to be a quick job that I could undertake and get done by the evening just in time for a few beers and a bonfire. What became the reality was a project that spanned over 2 days, a body that was aching and exhaustion that I had not felt in a very long time.

It was a very hot and muggy September day when I remember telling my mom I was going to dig out my fire pit. For anyone familiar with southern Missouri Septembers are either cold enough to require a jacket or 90 degrees and muggy enough to make you feel like your standing in a bowl of soup. This day was the later and being one that loves the heat I was quite content with this. Going out to grab the tools of choice not once did I stop to think or even look at the collection of rocks that littered everywhere the eye could see. It did not even dawn on me that what was on the surface was probably underneath as well. As I mentioned earlier most people like to dig out this way with heavy machinery. Nope, not this guy instead I grabbed two shovels, a rake and a bucket. Setting out on my way to the location of the fire pit to begin the longest dig into the earth that I ever care to be apart of.

I started doing what is only natural. I laid out my perimeter and got ready to start digging. My plan was to dig two feet down and make it 8x8. My first strike of the earth I did not get more then half an inch into the earth when my entire body vibrated from striking a rock that decided it was not going to move. Did I think to adjust my plan at this point? No. Instead I went to work removing this rock out of the earth which was a painstaking process. After it was removed, I was confident that my next attempt would be better. My ignorance was sure to get a lesson. As I jumped on the shovel, I was met with another rock that when I hit it the impact sent shockwaves into my knees. Now I was hurting and just angry but hey could be just unfortunate circumstances and there couldn't be a third rock like that. Ha! The third rock I hit on a perfect angle that did not send a shockwave through my bones instead I chipped off a portion of my shovel. Now I was not only in pain but also furious that a rock just broke my shovel but yet I continued. As I went I was pulling rock after rock. Before I knew it half the day was gone, I had sweat through my clothes and I was so tired, thinking to myself that I must of just picked a bad spot. Some would think I would move to a different area but nope, I wanted my fire pit right where I planned it. Some would also think that I would go get a heavier piece of equipment but no, my stubbornness would not allow me to do that. I set out with the tools I brought and I was not going to let some rocks stop me.

I fought with this area all day only to get 8 inches into the earth and I had hit so much rock that would not even budge that I shortened one side to 6 feet. I called it a night and planned to come back and finish early the next day. As morning came my body felt like I had been hit by a freight train and my hands were as if the skin was basically peeled off. Still I went out there and was determined to finish my project. The new day did not make anything easier, I hit rock after rock and inched my way down. I did decide to bring along a garden spike and a hammer this time to help pry and loosen the rocks. They did help speed things up and after reaching a foot I finally hit something other then rock. I hit the glorious red clay which is about as much fun to remove as playing with rocks. The difference is though instead of vibrating your entire skeleton every time you drive a shovel into it, it would get stuck and then you have red clay everywhere that decides to stick to you as if you decided to roll in a big bowl of mash potatoes smothered in the stickiest gravy you have ever felt. Needless to say after another whole day of fighting with this and having clay in almost every area of my body (still do not know how it managed to get in my socks but it did) I finally called it and could do no more then a foot and a half deep. I then used the clay to build a small rock wall to hold the earth back. (In the picture every single rock you see in the pit came out of the earth when I dug it down).

I eventually covered it with a thin layer of gravel and after two days of fighting with this fire pit it was ready and remember when I said just in time for a few beers and a bonfire? Honestly, I was so tired and frustrated I cleaned up and went to bed instead. The project itself was a nightmare but the end product was something I have enjoyed many nights which made the effort all more worth it. It is an example of how things on a Ranch can be hard, granted looking back I would do things much differently, but things on a Ranch can be the most rewarding thing you do. Also, throughout stories that we will share you will see that I may be one of the most stubborn people on this planet to my own detriment, but at times owning a property that is a necessity. I am sure if my

wife would have watched me fight with this she would have only shaken her head and been there to help me even though she probably would have pointed out how there is a much simpler way to things.

Not all projects on the farm are this difficult, but this did teach me to have the right tools for the job or prepare for some very tough work. No, I still rarely have the right tools and in stories to come you will see how we get quite creative to make things work when we need to get things done. Hopefully this experience, even though looking back is comical, can give some insight how hard work can be the best thing you do and just because something is not normally done it does not mean that it cannot be done.