Clearing the Land...

Rory with his ships - or are they just sticks???

We got a burn permit from the fire department for burning brush.  I don't think this land has been touched since well before the ice storm of 2008.  There are so many downed trees and branches, and trees covered in vines, poison ivy and briars.

 Rory, Pilchy and I have been making stick piles.  Lots of stick piles.  Rory also makes lots of "ships" out of branches and I have to figure out what is a "ship" and what is a branch that can go in our piles.  If I pick a "ship" there is a lot of protest.

My friend Eric likened us to the pioneers, clearing the land.  I think he has been reading too many Little House in the Prairie books lately! 

Me and Pilchy picking up sticks - yup in my pjs and coat...

Although I will say that there is a certain satisfaction in picking up all the chaos and putting it in nice neat piles.  It is kind of like when you pick up that playroom and after hours you finally have missing pieces returned, everything in it's place and a clear view of the floor.  Only it's actually more satisfying than that, because when you are done "cleaning" then you get to burn it all.

There is still so much to be done, but we have made some progress.  We can burn things until the end of May I think.  We will need every day of that!

The Snarled Mess of Vines

The stick lands...

Here are some pics of what is still left to clear.  Of course this is only the wooded part.  The back field is a whole other story...  T is planning on brush cutting all of that and eventually putting in a garden.