The Bonfire

One thing we didn’t have to worry about hearing while down on the farm were cries from the little guy of, ‘I’m bored’, ‘There’s nothing to do?’ and ‘What are we doing today?’  Hallelujah!

Heading out with the boys in the ute and two bewildered girls

Heading out with the boys in the ute and two bewildered girls

Farm life or being out in the country has so much to offer a boy but one added advantage to holidaying at Oakvale is that there is a neighbouring property where there’s a family with two boys around the same age as Alfie.  Yeah!  As soon as they boys saw our car drive past their property, they were out the door and running to greet us.

Sorting it out

Sorting it out

Alfie had so much fun with Louie and Hugo; they played pool, jumped on the trampoline, road the quad bikes, played ‘hide and seek’, watched videos and ate chips and paddle pops.

The concentration!

The concentration!

But the best thing they did was build fires.  What is it with boys and fires!  Collecting firewood for their fires filled up hours of the day and kept them running all over the property in search of wood.

Just a bit of smoke

Just a bit of smoke

As I’ve mentioned to you before, Alfie is a Cub-Scout and he is determined to get as many badges and awards as possible.  For the last six months he has been trying to gain his Silver Boomerang Award but one of the requirements is that you have to build a fire and cook a meal on it.  Now where exactly can you do that in Sydney without getting arrested?  So Alfie’s enormous frustration is that he hasn’t been able to tick that task off the list of requirements.

The fire the boys built by themselves

The fire the boys built by themselves

However, while on the farm he built a fire with his friend, Louie, and when the flames had died down they put a grill plate over the fire and cooked sausages.  I was rather pleased not to have been offered one.  However, there were no reported cases of food poisoning and Alfie was really excited to have finally passed this skill as part of his Silver Boomerang.

Toasting marshmallows

Toasting marshmallows

On the last night I put a roast in the oven and then the boys jumped into the back of the ute and of course I put the girls in the ute as well, and we headed down to the bottom paddock.  The boys ran around gathering and putting together an enormous pile of wood and then they built a bonfire.  We took some camp chairs and the neighbours came and joined us and the boys toasted marshmallows while those over 18 shared a glass of wine.

Two very eager boys

Two very eager boys

When I could smell the roast burning in the oven, the remnants of the fire were stamped on and doused with water and then it was time to pack up our camp chairs and head back to the homestead with the boys and the girls riding in the back of the ute.

A very brazen Rosie

A very brazen Rosie

Back at the house it was ‘boots off at the door’ and on with the roast that was a poor second to toasted marshmallows covered in ash.

All the excitement of a bonfire

All the excitement of a bonfire

It was the end of a fantastic day where especially with the bonfire, the boys were allowed to be boys.

Heading back to the homestead

Heading back to the homestead

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Comments

  1. That was a fabulous day for sure. Glad he got his badge.
    I hope Hugo and Louie have a dog called Dooey. then you could just say Hughie, Louie and Dooey.
    Carolyn

  2. Congrats to Alfie!!! My boys still love building fires to this day…sounds like a fun time for all! Lambeau would have been nosing around the fire, too, hoping for a sausage scrap 🙂

  3. Sounds totally idyllic Charlie.

  4. Bonfires are the BEST!! Especially for entertaining boys. 🙂 I have three brothers and nothing kept them occupied and entertained longer than a good fire for them to play with. 🙂

  5. What a wonderful holiday. I am almost a little bit jealous, and I am way over the 18-year drinking age! I still have a slight fascination with fires, and there is something very magical about cooking on them – even if it is just marshmallows, which is about all my personal experience stretches to.

  6. I think our best family vacations were the ones where my brother and I made friends with other kids so our parents didn’t have to constantly entertain us. And somehow bonfires were almost always involved! So fun!

  7. That’s a terrific get-away for all of you, including the girls. Nothing better than seeing one of your children having the time of his life. Loved this post!

  8. Oh, the joys of imaginative and simple play in the country. This is my childhood, minus the bonfire building. (Not too much excess wood on the prairie.)

    What a great get-away for your family, especially your dear Alfie. Does Alfie know about starting a fire by using a magnifying glass and the sun?

  9. Good to hear that Alfie had a fantastic time! It sounds a bit like camping which boys seem to love!

  10. Some of my best family holidays involved bonfires. They are just the best, maybe it’s the country gal in me, but I adored hanging with the boys building camp fires. Such fun!

  11. Looks like a beautiful, fun day! Alfie is sure a star 🙂 All your kids are, and no matter how you crib, you really are a super star Mom who lives for her kids. Tch tch, we know, hahaha!

  12. What a fabulous adventure for Alfie. It’s so nice that there are boys his age there to play with. I’m sure he had an amazing time – especially as evidenced by the never uttering he was bored. Your trip looks like it was such fun. 🙂

  13. I can only imagine how much fun Alfie had with the two neighbouring boys! My brother was fascinated with fire at that age too and was at the ready to take the helm when we went camping (after my Dad passed away). I was never interested in making a fire but now I at least know how to do it (in a very respectable fireplace, that is!).
    Too bad about the roast but I suspect the memories of how much fun your family had will outweigh the slightly overdone beef. I’m so happy you had such a lovely time.

  14. Boys of all ages like collecting wood to built fires. Ask me how I know. 😉 Fun story, and congrats to Alfie on getting closer to achieving the Silver Boomerang!

  15. So glad for Alfie to finally get his Silver Boomerang Award, congratulations Alfie.

  16. Bonfires are a wonderful thing and these days something from a time gone by. Nice post, Charlie! Love it.

  17. What child wouldn’t find this magical, Charlie! How fortunate for Alfie to have the chance to stoke his bonfire dreams! What a great opportunity to have a wonderful time in the great outdoors. Nothing tastes as good as something cooked over an open fire. 🙂

  18. My Pete would built a fire every day of the week given half the chance!
    Have a beautiful day Charlie.
    🙂 Mandy xo

  19. I am so glad to see him happy and being a boy. I was brought up on a farm and I can’t remember ever being bored. It is so different to city life.

  20. Oh thank goodness Laith hasn’t bothered me about fires.. Yet. Besides, half the time they’re not allowed here in CO because of the wild fire risk!
    So glad Alfie got his badge and had so much fun!

  21. Oh, what great memories those boys will have to look back on. Days without care for anything but collecting wood and letting their imaginations soar. Simple, uncomplicated, glorious days. Sounds like you all had a nice holiday away from it all. So good! 🙂

  22. Boys and bonfires – you are so right. Even as an adult boy, my husband would build a fire every time we went camping or backpacking. Most of the times we needed it to stay warm, but sometimes he did it just for fun. 🙂 What a great place to be able to take the family!

  23. Way To Go Alfie!! Rock on dude! I remember my girl scout days and baked apples and banana boats over the fire…ah those were the days…nothing like a good bin fire. Glad you are enjoying the last days of summer….they be HERE before we know it! xo

  24. The flames call to something primal in the boys Charlie, I’m glad Alfie was up to the challenge. I am glad there was a roast available though for the more evolved humans among you 🙂 xox

  25. Bonfires and Marshmallows … is there anything better!

  26. What a good opportunity to get that badge in real life conditions. What great fun being out in the country is.

  27. Love how the simple, everyday nature things kept the boys so occupied! Roasted marshmallows round a bonfire is one of life’s greatest pleasures for me – these are some wonderful memories!

  28. Alfie was in heaven! What a great weekend for an 8 year-old! I remember driving mom & Dad nuts over those badges. Living in a city, like Alfie, there’s only so much that could be done, though there was always one kid who, somehow, managed to earn them all in, what? 2 months or some equally ridiculous time span. Cheater! 🙂

  29. this made me miss my younger self when girls scount and boys scout would do camping and have a campfire so cute…

  30. How great is a bon fire! We have a fire in our backyard that J lights every now and again.

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