Annual burn-up time
14Tuesday 07 April, 2015 by Uncle Spike
Once or twice a year I have a rather large burn-up of all the cuttings, pruning, tree felling and general farm/garden rubbish. All the useful branches had already been removed by machete (no digits harmed this year), and we now have a large pile of wood ready to be cut, stacked and seasoned for next winters’ use in the wood burner.
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We usually amass two or three large piles of combustible waste, such as these – about half our load this year for burning.
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Then off we go, adding all the confidential paperwork for the year, such as receipts, ATM and credit card slips, and even past exam papers and sometimes old underwear we are not keen on adding to some municipal trash can (don’t want to see our ‘smalls’ pass us by in the street some day!)
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Even after all the prolonged rains we’ve had, it all burns pretty well; some stuff has been waiting for this burn-up since late December. The olive tree cuttings burn especially well.
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The bonfire was fed continually by yours truly, armed with my trusty pitchfork, for over four hours.
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We kept going until well after dark, at which point the sucuk (pronounced su-jook), a type of Turkish spicy sausage, was brought out for spit roasting for our supper (not our photo by the way – camera forgotten by that stage; too hungry). Of course, that was followed by roasted bananas with bitter chocolate, and why not, marshmallows on long sticks – yum.
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Uncle Spike's Adventures 
Perfect for a cook out. We always have to have wieners and marshmallows when we do a burn out. Your food fare look far better than our ‘cook on a stick’. But when all is said and done it really is all the same.
No permits required here either. We just have to call in and let the dispatch know we are burning. Of course we never burn on windy days.
Linda
http://coloradofarmlife.wordpress.com
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But you guys are on a heck of a bigger scale than us, so calling makes sense… nobody to call here of course 🙂
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I think its the huge amount of big winds that we have here.
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Keep off the Brussels Sprouts then…
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If brussel sprouts are involved Terry will throw THEM into the fire. 🙂 I rather like them myself.
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Yes, Linda
I happen to like brussel sprouts also.
No throwing them into the fire by me.
Anyhow brussel sprouts are suppose to be
full of iron and good for you. Well so
say the good health people and dietitians,
plus my new doctor from the Sub-Continent
whose name I cannot pronounce!
Cheers
Colin
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sensational photos ……. flames especially…….
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Interesting.
1. Do you require council permission for this “annual” burn off?
2. That bush land (or as we say here in Australia – scrub) behind the
stone wall looks a bit close for comfort (safety).
3. I would think that some fire hoses were very handy???
4. And from one photo it looks from the flames and smoke that
there was a stiff breeze blowing???
I think you might have got into some trouble if no permission was given
to light up here so close to scrub and with a wind factor.
Cheers
Your Aussie mate in the spirit of Ataturk, Gallipoli and the 25th April (ANZAC Day)
Colin
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Hey Colin…
Haha, no regulations in this part of the world. This is a developing country and rural living has hardly changed in generations. Most of our neighbours still cook outdoors on traditional open wood fires.
Saying that, this is still spring here, and everything is very damp still after some three months of continual storms and heavy rain. Sure, in a month or two’s time, it’s a no-brainer that fires are a no-no for the six months after that. There is no ‘law’, but no farmer would risk it, not being surrounded by miles and miles of open pine forested mountains. Law or or no law, neighbouring farmers would speak up, and probably the Jandarma (heavily armed rural police) would pay you a visit to knock some sense into you 🙂
Right now, it rains heavily every few days still. Around 10th May sees the dry period start, hence time now to get things cleaned up. We have very long green grass still now (and wet underfoot), but that will all be cut back next month before everything turns ‘brown’ and goes all dusty for six months 🙂
Oh, and the area behind that wall is just the neighbouring farm, mostly ploughed land, with olive trees (right) and citrus (left) – same as us.
🙂
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Thank you for that concise reply, “Spikey”.
However with the ties of Turkey and Australia, I suspected that eucalyptus (gum) trees may have been introduced. Australians who went to the Californian Gold rushes in that period strangely introduced eucalyptus ( gum as we commonly call them here).
Funny!!! Bizarre ! Why in heaven’s name would a gold miner take seeds across there to plant???? Homesickness???
The eucalyptus trees are found in your neighbour – Greece!!!!
As you may know gum trees – easier to write and spell than eucalyptus – are fierce
burners in forest (bush) fires. The flames travel though the tops at the rate of speed
to be seen to be believed. Thus sensible people don’t have gum trees close to homesteads and any sheds on rural properties. They are also dangerous as they have a rather strange habit of due to their root system of falling on suburban homes! Lightning seems to be attracted to them and thus you get ferocious bush fires with devastating effects.
Native fauna and domestic stock are the victims. I have seen half burnt dying sheep and cattle – and even as a kid on the land – family cattle station that we owned of having to go around and shoot drying stock. Terrible experience – nightmarish!
Thank God you have the Jandarma.
Cheers
Colin
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Yes, bush fires are a whole different ball game.
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Can I stop by for the S’mores? Please?
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Of course!
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becareful smoky the bear says ‘ONLY YOU can prevent forest fires”
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