Saturday, June 28, 2014

My Wood Burning Project

About this time last year I took my branch clipping tool out of my storage barn and used it to cut down the large bushes on either side of my deck in my back yard.

I drug the clippings out to the paved area at the back of our yard. I intended to let the clippings dry and then burn them. But I never got around to it. 

Then in the early spring we decided to have some friends of ours who own a small landscaping business clear out a small area behind our back fence. This included cutting down some bushes and trimming some limbs from some overhanging trees. 

Since there was still some brush left on the concret I told them to put what they cut down there as well. Because I now had a little more free time I could get around to burning all of it. 
I'm in the process of doing that now. 

Three times over the last month I've spent a couple of hours breaking up and burning the brush. 



As of late, I haven't been able to get out to the back yard at night and it's been too hot during the day to tend a fire. So my most recent "burn" happened this past Wednesday. I started it at 8 o'clock in the morning. It was the first time in my life that I have ever gotten up early for the purpose of burning brush to clear my property. 

I fed the fire for about 90 minutes. But as you can see from the background of this picture. I still have quite a bit of wood left to get rid of. 



I've kind of put myself on a deadline when it comes to finishing this wood burning project. On the 2nd weekend we are expecting a vist from some of my Pennsylvania family. I want to have it cleared up by then. 

For someone who grew up in an urban area, "fires" have always been associated with special events or doing something fun. For most of my life I was only in a place with an open fire when camping, went to an outdoor party on someone's farm, or went on a hayride.

I don't know why but almost every time I sit around an open fire I feel like everyone should be singing. That almost never happens. But when I rule the world "around the fire" sing-alongs will be "the law".   

Just to show you I'm serious about this, here's a link to a video on my You Tube channel. It's a recording I made of my own personal sing-along as I burned brush on May 14. 

Ron's Fireside Sing-A-Long

Now that I live in, the rural area of Warren county Kentucky, outdoor controlled fires are quite common. They are used to clear fields or burn brush. Smoke and the smell of wood burning are in the air quite often. 

Since public open burning is allowed (unless there's a drought) and I enjoy building and watching a fire I won't mind the effort it's going to take to get my concrete court cleared off. 

Only one thing that bothers me. Well, actually two things. 


It's already time to get out the branch clippers, cut back these two bushes, and make a whole new crop of firewood.

When those branches dry out and are ready to be turned into kindling, perhaps I'll set up a lawn chair, tune up my ukulele. Then I'll practice the sing-along at the bonfire we have at my church in the fall. 

Anyone wanna join in a chorus or two of "Kumbya"? 



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