Once I finished my little bird, I got the kids dressed and out the door because the sun was finally shining. This is the first day this spring that we actually worked out in the yard all day. The sun was warm and so inviting after all this cold and rain. After getting a permit from the town we started our brush burning at 10am. I always like this day every spring when we reclaim the yard from the fall and winter leaves and branches. As I watch the smoke rising and obliterating the yard I am conscious that this is probably not the most environmentally friendly way to get rid of brush. Composting would be better of course. But we have thorny blackberries that are taking over each summer and their prickly branches must be burned -- as far as I'm concerned. They are evil! And those invasive virginia creeper can't be composted either.
The kids were no or little help gathering sticks and preferred to swing and play softball instead. They did help tend the fire while I collected at least. It was fun to see them running around having fun. 
So I end the day with my forearms scratched red and aching. The rest of my body feels the pain too. I feel some satisfaction in taming the blackberries a bit even while I know they are sending runners out to invade more space. I do love the berries though. And I am relieved that we did not let the fire gain control as we did one year when we were much younger and much more naive about fires. That year we nearly started the whole field and forest on fire when a burning leaf blew up and started the dry grass burning. The flames were a wall of 6 feet high. I had to race up to the house to connect and turn the hose on -- it was terrifying. Our neighbors helped with their hoses too. Since then I treat this day with a lot more caution -- thus permits and hoses nearby with water running.
