I went out on 'the farm' (Snicker, snort) on Thursday afternoon, and set up camp. Rose planned on joining me after work on Friday, (if she could find the driveway without going past...) so I had to go a little more extreme than I'd do for myself:
Just kidding, that's the shade tarp I'd put up when the sun got a little hot. Of course, my new mutt, which is now named Adeline as the Missus didn't like 'Mutt', ran over the peg lines until the damn thing fell over..
This is the shelter I put up for the two of us:
You may notice the size of that tarp. Here's a plug for the company I bought it from:
As to what I managed to accomplish, I cut out a few more trees, which I still need to cut into firewood sized chunks, but one thing at a time.....
I also took out most of the bricks from the chimney, and sat and broke off the mortar that was stuck on the bricks that remained whole. Of course, about half to three quarters broke as I was tapping them clean, and the ones that really pissed me off were the ones that I had all but a tiny bit of mortar remaining, gave them one final LITTLE tap, and the damn things fell in two!
But that's okay, I saved all the pieces. I can make the dumb shit out of them: Dog house for Adeline, wind block for my eventual goats pen, solid chicken coop, that sort of thing. There's plenty there for all of that!
Didn't get any pictures, as Adeline ate my phone cord and I couldn't charge my phone until Rose showed up Friday night, and by then, I was so freakin' worn out, I quite simply forgot.
An interesting aside here: About half of Oklahoma is under a Governor declared fire ban due to the dry weather and winds. Of course, you know damn well I had my campfire!
You can see I had it blocked fairly well, and this is probably the largest flame I had in it. I was needing some good coals for breakfast! That's Adeline licking my grill from the grill I cooked the beef roast last night. She'd knocked it off the bricks, and was giving it a pre-clean for my washing after breakfast! What a considerate animal!
Anyway, Friday night, we heard sirens coming out, and Rose remarks that its probably the fire department coming out because someone reported the smoke from my fire. (This whole area got burned out two years ago, and everybody out there freaks out at the first sign of smoke!).
Sure enough, the fire engine pulled up my street. I watched as it slowed down, waved to the brave firemen inside, and watched as they pulled into the driveway two up from mine. Apparently, whoever owned that land had bulldozed all the burned trees in a pile and was burning them.
For about an hour, firetrucks, fire marshal, cops, and everyone and their brother were going up and down our street, and Rose was scared to death they were going to come to our camp, and fine the shit out of us. (I was more concerned they'd expect me to put my fire out!)
I kept reassuring her that they weren't going to fuck with my little fire, and of course, I was right. One of the fire marshalls stopped at the base of my drive, which I noticed as I walked to the car to get something or other, so I waved to him, he got confirmation that it wasn't a wildfire, and got back in his car and drove up to the neighbors.
No problems, no fines, and had my fire all night long.
So, I'm back at my town home now, tired, frustrated that I can't get everything done at once, but feel good that I've got done what I have.
Until next Sunday, that's it for the Turn Here Rose report.
(Don't worry, I'll get to my regular posts now, so you can check back daily!)
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