This week has been action packed at Granite Glen… as you may have gathered, it’s
burning off time here. Old dry grass is being set alight to make way for sweet new growth to come through. It’s fun but dangerous work (like most of the chores around the property, now I come to think of it!) and preparation needs to be undertaken to ensure that valuable assets don’t go up in smoke too!
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SSB took the kids for a drive in the old tractor down to a block at the southern end of the place, to prepare for the fires that were planned. The kids of course, thought this was a hoot, perched on the bench seat beside Dad as the grand old orange vehicle bounced it’s way down the road.
This is the tractor – it has a blade in front to push logs etc out of the way, and a grader blade attached to the back to, well,
grade things. Can you tell I’m not an expert on tractors?
Actually I’m not an expert on much really. I might stick that in the header for this blog, in case someone arrived here expecting sage advice on anything farm-related! …
Anyway, enough about me, back to the old tractor… It’s not shiny but it does a great job and there is plenty of fresh air for co-pilots!! And my hubby, who for so long was cooped up in an office in the city, does love having all this space and fresh (if slightly smoky!) air in his work space.
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I arrived an hour and a half after my crew set off, with picnic organised and having done a small mountain of tasks (child free!). I found my troupe at a set of tanks atop a hill – SSB was using the blades on tractor to clear the dry grass from around the tanks. Seeing his co-pilots were no longer in their seats, I was a bit startled to spot that the kids watching me …
from a rather interesting vantage point!
SSB figured they were safer there than at ground level after arguing their wee little butts were sore from all that bouncing along dirt roads. I saw his point but (suppressing a minor coronary) still immediately asked:
D’ya think it might be a good idea to come down from way up there??
TLW was ready to clamber down but Dash was in no hurry…
… apparently the sky was groovy from this angle…
TLW was delighted with her very grubby hands, from ‘helping’ Daddy so much…the word ‘tomboy’ comes to mind…
SSB decided to step in and ensure our little larrikans got down safely…
Before climbing aboard the Orange Express to do another round of clearing and head for the
Hilton for smoko…
Dash was co-pilot again as his Da’ man-handled the ‘old girl’ (NB most vehicles are called ‘girls’ around here – I have no idea why!) down the hill.
What does this lever do Daddy?
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Now I realise this post is a bit long already, and most of you will have gone completely to sleep by now, but I thought I might illustrate what happens when fire gets hold where is shouldn’t… grab a cuppa now if you like!
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After finishing clearing around pumps and tanks, we headed east to check out some darker smoke in a neighbours paddock.
(Aside: how groovy are the colours? Red, red road, vivid new green grass, sooty black burnt grass, and blue and black sky… yum!)
But black smoke usually means something more than grass is alight…
and we discovered a gate on fire!
It was smouldering in several places, and we scrambled for some water to douse the embers. We found a small waterbottle and a couple of drinking flasks in the ute.
Man, I always wanted to marry a firefighter!!! My hero!!
And we also discovered a very old (unused) shed sending red-hot flames high into the air. The kids eyes almost popped out of their heads, and they went very quiet as they took in the heat and haze and the hues. We decided our water bottles would be no use against this little inferno, and headed for home.
It was a quiet drive back to the house after a big morning… with all of us silently contemplating the panorama whizzing by… the wonderful new shoots of green against the sweeping noir of the paddocks behind. And the memory of the dangerous flickering edge to the brilliant flame-orange of the flames that bring it all about.
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A lesson that will stay with Dash and TLW for a long time…
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BB Question: What lesson do you remember best as a child?
Dash was co-pilot again as his Da’ man-handled the ‘old girl’ (NB most vehicles are called ‘girls’ around here – I have no idea why!) down the hill.
What does this lever do Daddy?
(Aside: how groovy are the colours? Red, red road, vivid new green grass, sooty black burnt grass, and blue and black sky… yum!)
5 Comments
jeanie
Hmmm – you have to tell the story of the lallo chidoda and its fast run one day, darl – very good lesson for us, that one!!
Portia
I learned after several painful lessons that roller skating was not a talent of mine.
I also learned that growing old is a priviledge that not everyone is afforded.
Anonymous
Your kids are learning so much. Ours learned how to do all the farm/ranch work around here by tagging along with dad when they were little. You don’t teach a 16 yr old how to drive a tractor, you start at four by watching every move dad makes.
Our burn time was six months ago. I enjoy watching it too.
Remudamom
Pony Girl
I remember having to go get the eggs from the henhouse. When I was about 7 my parents bought a home with 20-some chickens and it was the job of my sister and I to collect the eggs. We’d walk down there with a bucket. I can still remember the sites and the smell of that henhouse.
I also remember visiting my grandparents. They had the best backyard with these huge oak trees. My grandpa had put a metal bar up between them and my mom and her sister’s had twirled and played on it when they were little. Now, my cousins and I did the same!
Jayne
I learned that a horse standing on your foot with all his weight is rather painful through boots!