PREPARATIONS GOT UNDERWAY today for our annual family bonfire...or...as I prefer to call it, the Harvest Moon Festival. I'll take you through it step-by-step...
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We start with a horse meadow, which generally contains horses. (Any meadow will do. Horses are not required. In fact, although they add a certain ambiance, it is quite preferable to begin with a horseless meadow, as it will save you an extra amount of work. If your meadow contains large creatures of any kind, it is essential that you tie off an area with electric tape, thereby uninviting said creatures...in addition to which, you will most likely wish to inspect and clear the area of any evidence that said creatures have ever been there...if you, ahem, know what I mean. Your guests will most certainly appreciate this). Now for the next step, we take one big pile of wood (in order to "take" it, you know you'll first have to "get" it...which could involve such things as chopping, hauling, splitting, grunting, sweating...definitely the most difficult part of this set-up, if you don't count chewing your nails over the chance of inclement weather.)



The rest is fairly easy. Add a truck load of branches (just gather these...if you've got a meadow, you're sure to have some trees somewhere...and if you've got trees, you're sure to have some fallen branches which you've been meaning to pick up for a while now). Try to arrange these atop the logs in an impressive mound which looks quite likely to produce a real conflagration. Set up tables nearby. Circle the bonfire-to-be with lawn chairs. Stock the site with long-handled pronged sticks for roasting.

These preparations will keep for several weeks, but it isn't advised to wait too long, as cold weather can set in with a vengeance quite before you know it.

Here is a list of suggested foods to be served at your bonfire:

Bratwurst
Kielbasi
Hot dogs
Buns
Marshmallows

Each item is round in some aspect, which makes this a very well-rounded meal.
Also, serving it al fresco makes it perfectly healthy!



...actual bonfire to be reported on tomorrow...

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