Here in Texas

Another Smith retirement home story. I've been trying to go with my brother and sister-in-law a few times each month. Mostly for exercise but some to put names on twigs, limbs and anything else I can cut, break or burn - and that would be names from work. Anyway, we had so much brush all piled up that needed to be burned so there would be room for more stacks of brush. They tried the weekend before but it was too wet. My nephew went with us, that was really nice because I don't see much of him and he's such a nice young man (yes I am prejudiced about my neice and both nephews!)

We got 1 pile finally started, and it was so nice and warm! I was so bundled up (I hate cold weather) and had to start removing coats and sweaters etc. I stayed close the fire and watched for flying embers while they went and dragged more stuff to throw on the fire. When the smallest and the next smallest piles were finished (well, they were still smoking but pretty much out), my sister-in-laws parents had come out so we went to lunch leaving my brother and nephew to watch things. Of course, when we got back, the next pile was done - they must have used most of the gasoline. They knew my sister-in-law wasn't there to supervise and you know boys/men! We were only gone 1 hour which is about 1/4 the time it took to burn the previous pile. I still think we should have brought marshmellows and hot dogs!

The last time I went, it was below freezing. The ground was hard (it had been muddy for the prior few weekends) so we took the trailer down to the someday-it-will-be-a-pond-and-already-dug-some-out area (aka burn area). About .5 way through, I started sinking and had huge mud packs around my shoes. So when we went to take the trailer back for more - yep - you guessed it - it had thawed enough from the sun that we got stuck. So we just unhooked the trailer, and oops, the truck got stuck. I've not seen a truck swing from side to side like that before - good thing I moved too. So we tried and tried and tried some more. Eventually, we took some brush, and put it in front & in back of the tires (sounds pretty easy doesn't it), and let the truck move back to put brush where the tires had been. Made a little brush road! And it finally worked! So the trailer stayed put and we cleared brush elsewhere and just piled it up by the road.

I really enjoy spending the time with my brother and sister-in-law that weekend. My nephew didn't go with us that time. I'm surprised at how much I can actually do for a desk-jockey and how I can manage to breathe in the cold. Usually, when it gets below 70, I have trouble breathing because it is too cold and my asthma sets in if I'm not really careful.