Fire Buggery

    An early spring storm brought rain, hail, sleet and a dab of snow.  When life brings a natural fire suppression system, build a fire.  A pile of branches from the spruce tree felling remained in the front yard.

    

      I was going to move the branch pile, but burning it in place seemed a better option with the current conditions (wet green grass all around, a northwest breeze).

     A courtesy call to the sheriff’s office is now required.  Usually, the dispatcher wants to know your location and maybe how long you expect the burn to take.  This time, the answerer asked what the pile consisted of (tree branches), how big was it (4 X 8 X 3 fee high), what fire district   was I in (Genoa).  Sometimes they ask you to call when you are done, but not this time.

    So gather the necessities: fire extinguisher (hand-held sprayer), old stale gas, pitch fork, and matches.  The “parts washer” had some greasy goo from cleaning tractor parts.  It got cleaned out on top of the pile.  Then splash a little stale gas on the pile and make a short gas trail away from the pile.  Strike the match and drop it on the gas trail as you hastily back up. Sometimes you get a good “whoom” when you drop the match, so be sure to back away.  No need for singed eye brows.

     It didn’t take too long before the pile was reduced to ashes.

      All the excitement was soon over.  I don’t have to move the branch pile.  I kept warm for an hour or so.  What more could a pyromaniac ask for?

     There is another branch pile, but it requires an east wind as well as wet conditions.  There will be another fire someday.  With all the Chinese elm trees on the place, such branch disposal will always be a necessity.

       The excitement over, it was time to return to the 830.  A trip to Neighborly’s fetched a huge gahoona torque wrench.  Two hundred seventy-five pounds was no problem with this fellow.  That is, if you can muster the force.   

 

     The problem was seeing the dial at the same time as I pulled down on the handle.  Neighborly suggested a mirror, and that worked fine.

     Tappets adjusted, covers replaced and it’s time for another exciting event—the first starting of a reassembled engine.  Will it start and run as designed?  Or will there be clunking and oil, coolant and fuel spurting all over?

     That event will have to wait.  It has been a long day.  It has cooled off remarkably.  Time to head for the fire—this one in the stove.