Things That Make You Go, "Hmmm...."

This morning I spied a duck on our pond.  It is a good way down to the pond and it was impossible for me to make out any detail -- even with the aid of binoculars.  It didn't look like any duck that I was familiar with.

We did a little quick research on the computer, and I still was unsure of what it might have been.  I suppose it will go in my "Hmm..." category for the day.  It was interesting, made me stop and think, but it remains in the unknown category for me.

I find that in a lot of things.  The Internet has made researching the unknown much easier than it once was.  I look up things frequently and often find that my preconceptions needed adjustment.  One of the keys to learning is to realize that what we know may not be accurate and must be refined as additional knowledge is accumulated.  With the duck in question, I can only hope that he returns to give me a better look at some point in the future.

They say that curiosity killed the cat, but I find curiosity to be the fire that kindles learning.  You likely will note in the things I write that I am curious about many subjects.  Sometimes my travels down the trails of trivia border on the ridiculous, but even those things can provide some minor enjoyment.

Yesterday I continued on my current task of cleaning up dead and fallen tree limbs and brush on our place.  The neglect of years created the opportunity for us to acquire this piece of land but also came with the added price of the work necessary to bring it up to our expectations.  Since we are currently not under a burn ban, I am trying to burn as much of the gathered debris as possible.

The photo below is the last of a pile of limbs that were present when we purchased the place.  We have only been out of the burn ban a short time which delayed me in disposing of them.  I took a photo of the fire late yesterday as I sat enjoying gazing into it.  I don't know what it is about a campfire, but most people enjoy gazing into the flames.  This morning as I looked at the photo before posting it here, I noticed that one of the stones bordering it is unique.  I don't know where it came from, but it appears to be a broken piece of statuary.  It's just one of those things that make me go, "Hmmm...."

Consumed by Flames

If you look closely at the image of the fire you might see the Flame Monster looking off to the right.  That was random, I'll admit, but it just popped out at me when I posted the picture.  Do you see it?

What is it about fire that mesmerizes us?  I can sit and look at a fire for long periods and it is relaxing.  How can something so destructive be relaxing?  I suspect it is a remnant programmed into our DNA from times long past when fire meant safety, food and warmth.

I love a campfire and I enjoy campfire cooking.  There is an art to building a fire that will start quickly, burn brightly and build a bed of coals that will cast warmth for hours long after the flames have died to memory.

As I write I keep thinking there must be some deeper meaning that I can extract from this, but it just isn't happening.  All that comes to mind is the sound of insects and frogs along with the roar and crackle of the fire as I sit and contemplate -- yep, I almost said stare at the fire.  Contemplate conveys purpose and depth whereas "stare" is empty and meaningless.  Maybe that's part of the attraction -- to let the cares be consumed by the flames, allowing the mind to rest and the peacefulness of a spring evening to cleanse us as we become one with the blaze.  Yep, I'm thinking spring again....

Common Sense and Natural Forces

There is more than one way to deal with a water gap.  We had a neighbor that recognized nature's way of removing them by utilizing natural materials to fill them.  You can see the remains of an ancient barbed wire fence in the photo and a nearly new post on the left, but the gap is blocked by tree limbs that will be washed away when the next flood comes.  When that occurred, he simply came back after the waters receded and replaced them with more limbs.

Most people approach a water gap as a way to pit themselves against nature.  The idea is to construct something that will withstand the forces of the water and bend it to their will.  They use bull wire panels that will swing upward as the waters rise, or perhaps even anchor them to the banks in a way that allows smaller debris to pass through while catching the larger pieces.  Eventually, they always wash out, or are otherwise destroyed in the floods.

Working with nature seems to be the best way.  It is something we should do in many areas.  Instead, it is man's way to attempt to tame it.  We build our buildings and streets, we change the landscape with heavy equipment and we suffer the consequences with flooding and devastation.

Many agricultural practices also take an approach that doesn't necessarily work with nature, but seeks to "overcome" natural forces through artificial means.  We do this with fertilizers and chemicals and plows that re-shape the land into our "image" of what is necessary to produce food.  Historically, such practices resulted in catastrophic loss through flooding, or drought-fueled wind storms.

Many today are taking more conservation-conscious approaches that disturb the soil less and utilize natural forces to manage the land.  In livestock production it is seen in rotational grazing systems based on native forage species -- sometimes in intensive rotational grazing that mimics the pattern of native ungulates such as American Bison.  In farming we are seeing a switch to less soil-disturbing methods such as low-till, or no-till cultivation.  We see the use of cover crops and more drought-tolerant species.

We are currently seeing another form of the devastating impacts of man's attempts to change the natural systems in the California wildfires.  Failure to allow periodic low-impact fires to clear brush and undergrowth has created a tremendous fuel load in those forests.  Crossing those brush-covered hills with electrical lines is a perfect setup for the fires which are raging there now.  Just like in the water gap shown in the image at the top of this post, nature will cross man's artificial boundaries at a whim.

They need to control the brush with goats, or controlled burns.  They need to bury their power transmission lines.  They need to stop building on erosive slopes.  They need to understand that nature will have her way in spite of the billions of dollars they spend attempting to prevent it.  Perhaps what is needed most is some common sense, like our neighbor used by stopping the water gap with limbs, but we are talking about California....

Relaxing by a Campfire

This time of year I really enjoy being outside.  We decided last night it was time for a campfire, so we went out to our place north of town and built one and just enjoyed the evening.  The grass is green, the trees are budding and the weather was perfect.

Sometimes we all need the peace of a campfire.  There is something soothing -- mesmerizing -- about watching the flames dance among the pieces of wood.  It is easy to forget the "cares of the world" and to just "be" when you have a campfire to gaze into.

Last weekend we tried a quick "getaway" to Central Texas to view the wildflowers.  We were a little early for good viewing, but saw a few.  The trip was shortened and we had to come back earlier than planned.

It was a reminder that unexpected things can quickly change our direction in life.  We had stopped in Gatesville to stretch our legs and decided to take a few photos of the courthouse there which is very picturesque.  As we were aiming our iPhone cameras a pickup truck driven by someone in a hat passed in front of us.  It then circled around and came back to park right beside where we were standing.  The gentleman in the hat got out and walked around the pickup and it was then I recognized a good friend who also was just passing through town and noticed me on the sidewalk.

You'd better be careful what you do, because you never know who you might run into!

I guess the campfire was our way of getting away to make up for the shortened weekend the week before.  We weren't interrupted except for a handful of feral pigs that made a brief appearance.  It led to what I thought was a brief interlude of maybe 10 minutes while I stalked them, but was later informed it was more like 30 minutes.  The longer time is probably correct since my Fitbit informed me I had reached my steps for the day about midway through the hike.

Even the 30 minute hike was relaxing.

Wood Smoke and Fireplaces

The smell of wood smoke fills the air this time of year.  When you live in an area with abundant trees, I suppose it is to be expected.  To me, it seems barely cold enough for an open fire in the fireplace, although I have always found them to be attractive, both visually and as a way to warm yourself after coming in from the cold outside.

We didn't have a fireplace growing up; instead, we had what I recall as panel-ray wall heaters.  They were natural gas, or propane fueled and mounted in the wall.  They were great to back up to and warm yourself, or as a child, lie on the floor in front of while watching the television.

Once they moved to town, Grandma and Grandpa had a fireplace.  They usually didn't light it unless company was coming over.  It was always the first place I'd go after saying my "hellos" to everyone -- over to stand in front of the fire and visit with Grandpa across the room in his recliner.  I think he enjoyed watching the flames dance among the logs.  Sometimes he would have me bring in more wood, or stir the fire to get a better flame going.

When we lived in Nebraska we had a couple of fireplaces.  The house we live in now actually has a couple of fireplaces.  The house was built in 1956, but sometime later, the chimney's were capped and the roof extended over where they once stood so that now, the fireplaces are merely decorative.  I have thought at times it might be good to re-build those chimneys and open up the fireplaces.

Years ago we went to a Shaker Village in Kentucky.  The main hall was a multi-floor building full of fireplaces.  I can't begin to imagine how much wood was required to keep them going all of the time.  Those fireplaces were the only source of heat, but also the location of the cooking activities which went on from before dawn until darkness every day of the year.

No one cooks their food in the fireplace anymore.  Now they are as much for ambiance as anything.  They aren't necessary for heat and in fact often allow more heat to escape when not in use than they produce while burning.  Most of them weren't particularly efficient.

Some places have banned construction of fireplaces in new homes.  Politicians in those places have fully accepted the idea that burning wood is bad for the environment.  I have to admit the smoke can sometimes make breathing a bit unpleasant.  Their concern is for the release of carbon into the atmosphere and the resulting impact toward global warming.  I don't think they quite understand how that particular carbon has been released and recycled for thousands of years in the carbon cycle.  The crazy thing is how those politicians fly around the country in their jets which release carbon from fossil fuels which is carbon that has been taken out of the carbon cycle until released back in by those flights.  I just shake my head at their behavior.

Getting Rid of Dead Wood

There is something satisfying about burning brush piles.  Most of them on our place have been there for about a year.  That's about how long it takes for them to dry down to the point they will burn.  We also have to wait until the weather is "right" so the chances of a stray spark catching the woods or the pasture on fire are reduced to near zero.

With the recent rains we have had, the conditions are good.  Now, it is just a matter of catching a day with no wind, or only a slight breeze from the appropriate direction.  The winter grasses are short and the summer grasses have been grazed down so there is little to no excess fuel to worry about.

Why is it satisfying?  I suppose it is because it leaves the landscape cleaner, more open.  It gets rid of an eyesore -- a nuisance pile of decaying debris.  It's a little like spring cleaning except in the fall.

Some of the wood in the brush piles is from my clearing or, trimming trees and brush, but much of it is dead fallen branches from diseased trees that have died over the previous year.  This is a good time of year to drag it out of the woods and pile it for burning as well.  I have a long way to go to get our place in the kind of shape I want it, but each day I have the chance, I like to get out and work at it.  This is the best time of year because it is cool enough to put in a day of labor in the woods.  During the summer it is like an oven with high temperatures and high humidity.  During the spring it rains almost constantly and the humidity is so high you need scuba equipment in order to breathe.

Ideally, I would set a match to it and let the fire clear all the deadfall out of the woods.  That's the way it would naturally be kept in control.  That's how the natives and early Anglo settlers handled it.  They would clear the forest with fire.  It was efficient, it was fast and it left the basic nutrients on the soil to be absorbed by the grasses and other forbs that quickly followed in natural succession.  Today's attitude of leaving the forest detritus to decay in place has led to a dangerous situation in areas where dense forests cover the land.  It has caused an extreme accumulation of fuel to be available for any stray spark to create a conflagration that is unstoppable.  It is a primary reason for the devastating fires which so recently have ravaged large swaths of California.  Now they will have to deal with the erosion that will follow because of the loss of cover on the land.

We need to recognize that fire is a management tool.  Some environmentalist will argue that fire releases carbon into the atmosphere that should remain stored in that fallen debris.  They fail to recognize that the carbon is being released anyway through the decaying processes.  It just takes longer.

The carbon stored in that debris is part of the free carbon on our planet which is part of the carbon cycle.  It is constantly being released and then reincorporated into plants and animals.  It is part of how nature works.  Much of the carbon on this planet is in longer term storage in the form of coal and oil which is buried deep in the earth.  This is sequestered carbon -- carbon that has been set aside by natural processes.

The human-centric global warming alarmists need to distinguish between free carbon and sequestered carbon.  We certainly are releasing a lot of sequestered carbon through burning fossil fuels and need to explore ways to reduce that process, but it is the problem, not dead wood lying on the ground in a forest and certainly not agriculture which captures carbon continuously through the growth of crops which become food for a rapidly growing and hungry world population.

Sometimes getting rid of dead wood takes time.  In the case of my brush piles, it takes about a year for me to get rid of it.  In other cases it seems to take longer....

Sometimes I ramble....

Staring Into the Fire

I sit and stare into the fire,

Watching flickering flames

That dance among the charred remains.

Windows to my thoughts are pulled

By figures prancing there

Within the soaring vapors

That burst in vibrant colors,

Red, orange, yellow and blue,

Still not consumed.

A tiny stream of gray and black

Rises over all,

Escaping scents to draw the nose

Of passing life downwind

Pausing in fear of conflagration

To cleanse before renewal.

I'm drawn by some primeval force

To reach out, warming

Hands and toes that need not

Yet are pulled to feed

With broken limbs the cresting waves

Of shifting light as evening sets

And darkness creeps from every side

Until only glowing embers

Release their tiny sparks to die.

Perspective

Between Pampa and Perryton in the Texas Panhandle is a long stretch of native grassland. It is part of the area that burned in the big fire last year. The summer rains though, helped the grass to recover nicely.

I enjoy the drive across that stretch because I like to watch for the antelope. I count them. I guess it's impulsive behavior, but I always count to see how many there are that I can spot from the highway as I pass by at 70 mph. Today I counted 24 of them.

Almost any time of year I will see them. They are usually scattered in groups of 4 or 5 up to 15 or 20. I think the most I ever remember counting for the whole stretch was a little over 50 of them.

That stretch of grassland makes it easier to imagine what it must have been like before this country was settled. The buffalo trails of history have been replaced by the cattle trails of today, but otherwise, I suspect it looks the way the earliest settlers saw the Plains.

The Panhandle was one of the last bastions of the Plains Indians. The last Indian battle in the Panhandle was fought in 1876. That was only 131 years ago. This is a young country.

I think that recent taming of the land is evident in the people of the Panhandle. It is why they are friendlier and more ready to lend a helping hand than people in many parts of the country. It is because of the generational memory of the survival behavior of the pioneers that settled here. It is the memory of 10 miles to the nearest neighbor; helping each other with the round-up, or the harvest; the loneliness of the women, mid-wiving because the doctor was two days away, and the rare trips to town for supplies.

The wide-open country produces good people. It seems that it is where folks are pressed together in cities that most of our country's problems occur. I think God made us to need a little space. Sure, we need each other and we seek each other's company, but we also need to be able to get away by ourselves where we can commune with our Maker. I suspect the Pioneers found it a lot easier to depend on Him when there wasn't anyone else around to depend on.

I imagine that most people are a little like me and need some "alone" time every once in a while. Maybe that's why I enjoy that lonely stretch of highway. It helps me to keep things in perspective.