Some people welcome in spring with the blooming of the crocus or daffodil. When I lived down south to me it wasn't spring until the azaleas bloomed. Here it is not spring until you start seeing the spring fires. For centuries the inhabitants have used fire to control the growth of unwanted species on the grasslands. Even the native americans burned around their villages for the same reason. Fire was a natural part of the prairie even before man. Today the farmers still burn off grasslands in the early spring clearing off all that dead grass and allowing new green growth to come forth. It also helps to keep down invasive blackberry and small locusts and invasive cedar seedlings from invading these pastures and fields. So once again we have started to see those plumes of smoke on the horizon as again this year the farmers burn off their fields. A smell of smoke seems to permanently hang over the landscape.
As for me I am making my smoke contribution as well. It is office cleaning day for me. Dusting and cleaning book shelves.
Desk cleaning and organization aren't forgotten either. Some of that paper gets composted while other paper gets burned. All those old last years phone books and old magazines contribute to the smoke as O Wise One nurses our own fires.
My spring cleaning efforts continue as I await the day when I can throw open the windows, hang out the winter quilts and put them away and wash off the porch to get rid of that winter mud buildup. For now I resign myself to indoor tasks just one simple one every day.
Blessings from The Holler
The Canned Quilter
The farmers here do the same thing . We here tidy up our yards and have a small bond fire in the fire pit we have , then use the ash from that and our wood stove for our gardens . It is sunny here but the winds still hold the chill in them . Hoping for warmer winds and temps soon ! Have a good day !
ReplyDeleteSoon I'm gonna catch up with all my chores like that.
ReplyDeleteWhat many people don't know if more spring burning were done, it would help lessen some of the wild fires.
I've noticed lots of fires near our country house as well. Some also do it in the fall.
ReplyDeleteHere in NW PA we see occasional fires because people might burn any dead limbs that might have fallen in all of the heavy snow we usually have. Btw, would you like to clean my room that is supposed to be my office/sewing room lol? That is something that I really want to tackle before it gets too nice outside.
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