FIRE DAMAGE

Looking westerly from June's field.

My brother Chuck provided a subtle hint yesterday that a new post is in order. Yes, time has slipped away. Hallie and Nick arrived at the farm on Sunday (Sept. 6), and we were busy before, during, and after their visit.

Beautiful rainbow

It was cold over Labor Day weekend. How cold? Winter pajama cold. Turn-on-the-electric-blanket-and-pull-up-the-quilt cold. Sweatshirt and jeans weather. Our low was about 40 and the high was in the mid-60s. And it rained. No more worries that the cistern water will run out before summer is over.

From Plank's Pitch above the draw

I figured the cool weekend would signal the end of hot days, but Mike predicted it would be hot again. I didn’t agree, but to my surprise, it was 98 in town yesterday and will reach that again today. However, mornings and evenings are cool, typical of fall. My autumn mood has set in – pumpkin pie, Halloween decorating, and ho-ho-ho.

The fire started just below the pole

As you may know from the previous posts, the windstorm on Saturday (Aug. 29) caused a mature pine to snap and hit the power line, and that sparked a fire. It actually burned away from the house – down the lane and on into the draw, but alert neighbors made fire breaks and did the best they could to control it. Firefighters reached the fire early. The damage could have been so much worse. A lot of grass burned – probably a good thing -- but we lost (or will lose) a few trees.

From draw looking back toward house

We have wondered if there might be a rattlesnake den in the rock fill at the bottom of our lane. It seemed likely. In this picture, Mike holds a baked rattlesnake he found in that vicinity.

Hallie and Nick trimmed up the scorched apple trees in the lane. They might not survive. They also trimmed the Lapins sweet cherry tree, just planted last May, which was broken when a large pine bough landed on top of it. What remained of it was subsequently munched by the deer, so they installed a wire cage around it to give the poor thing a fighting chance.

Hallie and Nick look over this elderberry bush

We didn’t make jelly. It’s still early for the elderberries, but they look dry. I did promise Mike that later in the season I would make a batch of elderberry-apple jelly for him. I dried 15 pounds of purchased pears. (Dried pears are a family favorite.) The prune trees are not bearing prolifically this year, but I may see if I can pick enough to dry some for son Clint.

And speaking of Clint, he has just completed a move to Lewiston from Gooding where he worked for Idaho Power for 13 years. He decided it was time for a change and will start as a millwright with Clearwater Paper on Sept. 14. It’s great to have him and his family here in town. KW