Summer bonfire is allowed...
Casino Climbing Rose
The fire ban has been lifted (there's been significant rainfall in the last two weeks). It's a gloomy January day. And Non-Gardening Partner has the day off. Ha! The starts are aligned! Specifically, NGP can be the star of the bonfire.
Friday 30th January
It's a good chance to finally rake up all the gum bark mess from the gardens and the driveway. And the dead Cordyline leaves from the Cordyline in the Allotment Garden. Maybe just a morning's worth - let's not get carried away. We'll see.
Lunchtime...
Excellent progress so far. I collected dry mess from underneath the Leyland hedge and from beside Pond Cottage, as well as raking the driveway. Then took a rest from fetching and carrying, sat down and cleared the path behind the glass-house. A Phormium in here was squashed flat when the big Wattle trees came down - now it is revitalized and rather shapely (I did trim the messy bits off). The plan is now to do another two hours, encourage NGP to finish his job clearing the house lawn, and then pouff! A pair of busy people have spent the day bonfiring.
My Cricketers Have Been Off For Rain!
They can then relax and watch the local cricket on TV. One of them (me) will enjoy this a lot. The other (NGP) will probably get bored and read a nerdy electrical theory book instead.
Six hours later...
I cleared out six loads from behind Pond Cottage, then I almost ran out of oomph. NGP escaped to do some lawn mowing. Still working? Yes, but he just has to sit on his mower and steer - and keep an eye out for any garden hand tools left lying in the grass.
Summer Phloxes
So I had another short break (sitting in the grass with a cool drink watching the flames) then collected three more barrow loads of dried ornamental grasses (dug out of the end of the Hump Garden not so long ago). It's high summer, unusual to be allowed to burn.
End of The Day Bonfire
So that's six hours bonfiring in one day, with lots of plodding back and forth pushing the wheelbarrow. Towards the end I definitely got the 'Are-we-there-yet?' feeling. Like a long hard tramping day, only one hour away from the hut. I am very proud of myself.