Burn baby burn

 

No, it isn't the river Styx but Barrabaroo creek. We did two stick pile burns recently. The second started late since I had a doctor appointment midday. I got tired of waiting for the last two stumps to finish burning so put them in the creek. Did go fish them out later....

Forgot to take pics of the stick piles prior to burning but you can tell from the ash that this had a fair bit of old weeds and sticks from my prior clean up activities. 

The burn pile up the hill had more dead trees and branches. Scott remembered to take pics

He had that fire mostly down to embers and small flames by the time I got back. Rakehoes are very large and heavy hoes with rakes on the non-hoe side. I am dragging one around in the image below; it did come in handy to move the burning and non-burning bits as needed. These fires get hot! 

Burning is not allowed in the heat of summer or if things are too dry or windy. Usually the non-burn period starts in October but they have moved it up to August in some years. You need to submit a form to say you are burning and contact your neighbors so they realize this is a planned burn and don't call the Rural Fire Service out. 

You are required to stick with the fires and continue to make sure they go fully out. This can take a bit!

We are currently building up piles of tree trimmings for next years burn (too green to burn now). 

This trailer load is just the result of my hydrangea pruning. 

Dubya got his feet trimmed and is now on supplemental hay as well as his fat supplement. He is still skinny and the grass is not growing due to lack of rainfall. 

He is very protective of the hay when the sheep look interested so he may not get the ram in his paddock, after all. 

The sheep continue to loop the farm during the day. Mornings find them down by the front gates. pruning the shrubs and looking for a way to that very (not) green grass on the other side. They seemed unimpressed by morning run!

The sheep have now decided my flowers are tasty, unfortunately. We planted some climbing roses and so far, those seem too thorny to be worth eating. Fingers crossed. 

The mornings are currently frosty and the wind has picked up so it can be pretty cool! You can see the areas where they sheep have been sleeping - ovoid spaces with no frost. Dubya seems to like his blanket. I know many of you are suffering in the heat; I am sure our turn will come.

As far as the house goes, I don't think I have shown off the paintings we have the living room.

These have been with Scott for many years. They hang above the couch that was left for us by the prior owners.  We added the rug but the coffee table was also an inheritance.

The couch faces the TV and bookshelf

Pretty sure that armchair keeps migrating closer to the wood-burning stove!

Outside, our orange tree is taking life one orange at a time, apparently. The single orange is almost ripe but seems to have been almost ripe for a month. 

The lemonade tree (very sweet lemons), on the other hand, is going with large volume production. When those get ripe, we will need to make lemonade, cold weather or not. 

Finally -your bird of the day. This pied butcherbird was following Scott the other day. In the image, it is peering over the roof of the chicken shed. Guessing it saw a small lizard, mouse or large insect. Having to work a bit harder (and get closer to us) in the colder weather. 

Stay safe in the smog and heat!