Blue Skies and Billowing Smoke

Good morning everyone, let me tell ya something. I left work early yesterday to enjoy the warm sunny day, and enjoy it I did.

I went out to Windsor to the guy formerly known as The Bushman's house to check out the progress and score a burning barrel. The last time I was out there was last summer, when we put up the old barn beams. It seems that even though I wasn't there, they kept working. The place is awesome, and slightly larger than a camper. One word for ya: DowndraftExhaustCooktop (insert sound of Homer Drooling).

In addition to scoping the house, I did manage to score a burning barrel. I have a pile of junk wood in my yard that needs burning (or disposal) and the fire pit would have taken forever. I figured a few good fires in the barrel and I'd be rid of most of it. So yesterday I set up shop with the circular saw, a couple of sawhorses and a pile of doors/particleboard. I cut up the doors and particleboard into smaller pieces and set to tossing them in the fire. Sho nuff, the barrel did a wonderful job of consuming a large quantity of scrap. I did have to add a few speed holes to the side of the barrel to let more air in, but other than that I used it right off the shelf.

One other thing that the barrel did was drop burning embers onto the surround ground. This would not have been such a problem had the surrounding ground not been covered in dry leaves, very dry piles of branches, very very dry piles of old fencing and a couple of pallets. At first I was able to just stomp out the fire, but at some point it exceeded what my size 11.5's could handle and I had to employ the services of my garden hose.

All in all, I got rid of most of two THICK exterior doors, untold particleboard, some branches and a hollow core door. I was very impressed with how much smoke the barrel didn't produce. It guess it gets so hot that the wood burns a lot more completely than it would in a regular fire. Another fire that size and I think the yard will be "clean".

I also mowed the lawn yesterday between acquiring the barrel and using it. Let me tell you folks, my hard work has really paid off. I have the lushest, greenest lawn within my immediate area. Just don't look in the back though, it's still patchy (blast you evergreen trees). All of the grass that I planted last year has come up extra thick and extra green. I almost felt bad cutting it, but I know deep in my heart that it wants to be cut. I do also know that I need a new blade for my lawnmower. The freaking thing shakes all over the place because of the imbalanced blade. And the lawn doesn't get the kind of mowing it deserves because the blade is so dull it's like beating the grass into submission with a Louisville Slugger.

One last thing, for all of the people who expressed concern for Nano (who was foaming at the mouth yesterday morning), he's fine. I'm almost positive that it was the Cat Grass (not intended for feline consumption, even though the bag explicitly says that's what it's for) that did it. He was back to his finnicky self last night. I did tell him that he did the right thing by showing me he wasn't feeling well, even if it meant foaming all over my stuff. I lost one cat last summer and I'm not quite ready to lose another. But all was well.

After my yard work, I kicked back for a few with the cats, ate some cookies, showered and went to bed. Note to self, never bake cookies again, you have no willpower.

Over and out,
Old Coot