In addition to the new ducklings (who are still in the stall with their mama and doing fine), planting flowers and horseback riding, last Sunday was also the day we finally were able to burn the huge pile of brush we've been collecting since last spring.
The strong, late winter winds brought down a number of mature trees around the place. One of them was this old grey pine that stood on one end of the pond. It came crashing down one stormy night and has lain massively along the path all summer long, gradually getting drier and browner. Bruce has been steadily sawing it into pieces and hauling it up the hill to the upper pad. Burning up here is strictly forbidden during the hot summer and early autumn months, so the pile just kept getting taller and broader with the passing weeks.
Finally, last Friday, we had a steady rain, the weather cooled down and the humidity went up. Burning restrictions were lifted and on Sunday afternoon Bruce set to work.
Bruce is generally very conservative when he burns anything outside -- he builds small, 4x4 foot fires that he feeds only a few sticks of wood at a time. It takes forever. Days. On this afternoon, though, the conditions were so good that he used the tractor to push large sections of the brush pile into the flame. The fire shot up, but it was safe because there was nowhere for it to go but up. The entire pile was a mound of ashes in about three hours time.
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| One dog with a stick: Seal |
Perhaps everything went so we because all three dogs did their part.
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| Two dogs with a stick: Seal and Murphy |
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| Three dogs with a stick: Seal, Murphy and Arlo |
Fun times!
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