Campfires at the End of the
Pavement
1978 - 2009
By Janice Boling
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Campfires did more than warm our bones.
Campfires warmed our hearts.
We always had a fire -- winter and summer. I don't know who built the best fires, but most of us could get one going. Some people stood wood long ways before lighting it like a teepee. Others stacked it sideways like a log cabin. Some used lighter fluid or burnt motor oil to get a blaze going but anyone in the know saved heart pine for kindling. Card board and empty beer cartons worked, too. Once we got it going, we kept it going. The campfire was the heart of the End of the Pavement and as long as we were awake, it was burning.
Machete and campfire
We had some amazing fires with enormous back sticks at the End of the Pavement.
For some reason, a machete was stuck up in a log. That blade was probably used for stripping sorghum cane. Looked like that time of year since the leaves were turning color.
Campfires burned a long time when wood was this big.
Mike, better known as Pops, was around a lot in the later years when I was on the farm. I never really got to know him.
Shaun beside the campfire
This was a hot, winter fire that kept everyone warm.
Shaun worked out of town and was always glad to get the chance to relax at the End of the Pavement -- no traffic jams on Mulky Gap!
Photo submitted by April Mason
Friends beside campfire
These guys enjoyed a campfire with friends and family. Curtis was making a peace sign. He is doing it the right way, with palm facing outward.
Fall is the best time to gather around a fire.
Scott in camo, Eddie in orange vest, Bill, Jerry, Gomer in red flannel -- Mike, Vince, Gwen, Pete, Richard, and others gathered around the fire at the End of the Pavement.
A lot of folks probably thought that wood just appeared by magic but it took a lot of work to keep those fires going.
Leanne at the End of the Pavement
Leanne hung out by the fire along with Jill, Gwen, and her mom, Diane in red.
Sometimes we used a burn barrel.
Lisa, Tony, Kathy, Darlene, Ann, and others sat on the sidelines during a horseshoe game.
Gomer and Nathan by the burn barrel
Burn barrels worked great on windy days. The smoke went up instead of sideways.
Corn hole and fire in a barrel
That was something new for us to do - a game called corn hole!
Instead of throwing shoes, you threw little bags of rice or pellets. It was a lot less dangerous but not as much fun as horseshoes. Horseshoes required more skill.
Amy was throwing while Raymond added some scrap lumber to the fire. It was probably late in the day and he knew we would be huddled around the barrel before long. Time to turn up the heat.
A good campfire
With wood this large, the fire burned a long time. Those big logs were called back sticks and could last for weeks.
Getting warm at the campfire
Tim, Jeffery, Cricket, Gary, Alvin and more are crowded around the campfire. Pam was throwing horseshoes in the background.
A hot campfire
Jerry E, Larry, Raymond, and Tony were warm enough for sure. Looks like a bottle of liquor on that stump -- which helped keep the cold at bay.
Another good campfire
Shane, Natalie, Jimmy, Jerry E, Gwen, Bill, and Brenda were together around the campfire.
Cooking on a campfire
Gwen was cooking on an old grill -- right over the flames. They had to watch it close so it wouldn't fall in. Other than that, it worked great.
Campfire and a stack of wood
Gomer, Larry, Hambone, and Tom gathered around the campfire.
I loved to stare into the fire, especially at night -- the flames were hypnotizing. I did some of my best thinking in front of a campfire at the End of the Pavement.
Small campfire
A skinny guy stood by the fire with BIll.
You can barely see flames at the bottom of the photo.
Always be careful when building campfires in the woods. Here are some tips from Smokey Bear.