By Cathy Miller

Looking for some real big fun in the great outdoors?

At the Warren County Farmers’ Market in Belvidere on July 26, Tom Lynar displayed two handcrafted, outsized, outside games: Yahtzee and Washers.

Outdoor Yahtzee works just like the kitchen table version, except you need a big yard. The game includes a five-gallon pail, five 3-1/2” wooden dice, scorecard and instructions.

Washers is a precision game of toss. Two carpet-lined wooden boxes are placed 20-feet apart, using a clever spacer made from a drain and string (see photo). The hefty gold and silver washers are tossed, aiming for the four-inch pvc cup. Points are accumulated, with a couple of strategic rules tossed in for good measure.

How did Tom get involved with these wondrously big games? He replied, “I needed something to do after I lost my leg two years ago.” He and his son Jason set about designing and building the lawn games about one year ago.

Tom mentioned how he sometimes meets with people confronting the loss of a limb. He tells them, “This is the worst thing that ever happened to you. That in itself means it can only get better.” Sharing his experiences and insight instills hope and reassurance in those just beginning the rehabilitation process.

Tom Lynar, of Mansfield Township, was born and raised in Dumont, NJ and moved with his family to Denville as a teenager. He’s lived in Warren County for the past 45 years and owns Raspberry Hill Woodworking and Signs in Hackettstown.

His wife Trix was born in Holland and came to the United States at the age of five, settling in Hackettstown with her family.

Trix and Tom have been married for 45 years.

Outdoor Yahtzee and Washers are available for purchase from Tom Lynar at the Warren County Farmers’ Market. Or email inquiries to trixlynar@hotmail.com and include “GAMES” in the subject area.

Warren County Farmers’ Market at White Township School parking lot, 555 Country Road 519 (at Route 46) in Belvidere is open Sundays from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. through September 20. Follow them on Facebook.

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Tom’s father-in-law, Bill Vanheteren, who passed away in 2011, volunteered over 50,000 hours at Hackettstown Regional Medical Center and was also involved with the historic “Bucket Brigade.” Sometimes wrapped in bandages or hobbling on crutches, the all-volunteer Bucket Brigade stood at the Five Corners intersection in Hackettstown, collecting donations from passing motorists to help build a local community hospital. Through their efforts over three summers in the 1960s, the Bucket Brigade raised $101,000 (equivalent to $715,000 today) for construction of the Hackettstown Hospital, which opened in 1973.