An Unexpected Day Off

Smoke from my fire

Lucy, one of my barn "helpers"

Pumpkin, not much of a helper, but here she is

My aunt, who drove 50 miles to "play with fire"

Bruno, self-designated Fire Marshall, and me

Not too interested in having his picture taken

Ahhh ... that's better



I was expecting to work today, but the receptionist called yesterday to let me know I was only booked on Friday. So I decided to take advantage of the good weather, and burn off all the old and moldy hay, blackberry bush cuttings and other garden- type waste. Out here, you are still able to burn outdoors in October and April, if you purchase a burning permit from the township. I KNOW it's environmentally a big NO-NO [and I'm so good in most other environmental aspects], but there is something atavistically appealing in burning a large pile of stuff outside. When I was a child, home owners in Vancouver were permitted to burn all the leaves raked from their property. I loved raking and playing in the leaves, and then burning the piles early in the evening in the gloaming.
I started collecting and piling garden clippings, then got to work inside the barn. I had so much hay I hadn't had a chance to get rid of, from previous years. And this last winter there was so much that His Imperial Self refused to eat, though I did manage to give away 30 bales to my farrier [who also owns a boarding barn, and can always use extra hay].
Anyway, there we all were in the relatively warm sunshine, having a good time. My aunt and I worked for 5 fun-filled hours
 I just realized, you probably have never seen me before this. Please do not let yourselves be overwhelmed by my chic attire! I am a high-fashion "barn grunt", and proud of it!!  :)