Okay, if fir will make charcoal, I'll try that.

If I plug the holes in the sides of my existing burn barrel with wads of aluminum foil, do you think they would melt?

Most burn barrels come with lids. If they aren't cut off, it's really hard to get the wood through that little hole in the top.

I've been getting my vegetable garden started, and getting some hollow concrete garden spheres ready to sell as fundraisers for a local cat rescue shelter. And this nuisance of having to work for a living is something that I find to be a constant source of irritation. But I have to be able to keep gas in the car so the dog can go for a ride.

Sue