Can We Talk 2

Bon Fire

         My niece's husband wanted to burn some brush on his 25 acres, so he planned a bonfire for the family. It was just one field, but it was more than brush. He had logs that don't make good indoor fire wood, shrubs, vines, etc. It was huge. The wind was blowing. We were covered in smoke and choked before the hot dogs were ever started.

         It was under control by the time I got there, down the narrow twisty country roads. But I could see the scorch marks on the tall trees at the edge of the wood. They were burnt about 30 feet off the ground! He had to run for the water hose and spray the trees. The wind was worse than he had expected.

         We kept moving around the fire trying to find the best spot, but the smoke followed us. It was a good walk to the house. I had to drive my dad down there, since he can't walk on the uneven ground. There was an old trailer with two flat tires. They had
planned to use the end of it as a table, but the kids loved it. They climbed up on it and stretched out their chairs. All they had to do was reach down to their feet for chips and popcorn or raw veggies. There were some new chickens in the barn. The kids had to climb the gate and go over, bare toes grasping the wire. There was another smaller cage inside for the chicks but the kids went in there, too. The three year old climbed the gate with a chick in hand gave it to me. I had to take it to prevent escape, but it was unhappy, so back into the cage it went.

         These children were filthy dirty, full of mud and smoke, dip, and way after dark, roasted marshmallows. We had two fireworks set off. Big booms and lots of color. Even the one year old liked it and asked PopPop for more with hand gestures and a little "boom". Today, all of us have irritated red eyes, runny noses, and coughs. The young folks with PopPop sat by the fire another hour after we left. They put blankets on the kids who fell asleep before ending the party.

         It was homemade fun for family, three sets of children, divorced grandparents, a great-grand-father, etc. Nature and food and games and dirt. The kind of gathering they'll remember decades from now. And a nice change of pace for me, too. And we all slept pretty soundly last night.