Friday, June 12, 2009

Bolt Hole Report

What a day! I am thoroughly and totally beat!

I spent all day as a pyromaniac burning Mt. Slashmore in the back yard. This was a pile of branches and tree limbs created when we opened up the apple orchard directly behind the cabin.

We had burned the previous Mt. Slashmore in March. That was a piece of cake as the ground still had nearly two feet of snow on it. No deer flies or black flies and the temperature was in the 30s. Today, not so much. The flies took advantage of any bare skin. The temperature was in the 60s and maybe even the 70s. (I was too busy to check and the fire was warm enough, thank you!)

After the heavy rains of the last day and a half and with little wind to speak of, it was a perfect day to burn, baby, burn! As Mark so gently reminded me in an email this morning.

The rain made getting the fire started a chore. I used an old refrigerator cardboard box and a couple of torches made from an old T-shirt and some highly flammable fluid that was not kerosene. Took almost $2 worth! When it finally did start to burn, I had to tend the flames like a mother hen. The slash had so many air pockets in it that it threatened to go out if I didn't constantly feed the beast.

But I got 'er done! Only took from about 10 AM until 8 PM but Mt. Slashmore II is nothing but an ash pit now.

Another nice thing about burning in March: the snow. To put the fire to rest at the end of the day only required shoveling snow from the surrounding area. Tonight I had to haul five gallon buckets of water from the cabin out to the fire pit about 50 yards away. Had to make several trips with a bucket in each hand. Man, that water is some heavy shit!

I'd go to take a shower and go to bed but the last two nights I turned off the computer when the Mets were ahead of the Phillies only to see the next morning that they had lost in extra innings. Tonight they are leading...oops...tied with the hated Yankees 7-7 in the seventh inning. I'm afraid to turn off the computer. (I just turned away for a few minutes and the score went from 6-4 Mets to 7-6 Yankees and now 7-7. Jeesh! Who is this guy Switzer, anyway?)

I may or may not cut the grass again tomorrow morning before heading back to the Aerie. Kinda depends upon how I feel in the morning.

Terry's off to NJ for a bridal shower tomorrow. She'll stay at her Mom's over night and be back to the Aerie on Sunday evening. The Aerie's grass needs cutting, she says. *sigh*

1 comment:

Rev. Paul said...

You've had a busy day. I hope the Mets pull it out & win, to end your day the right way.