Burn Ban temorarily lifted!

The beginnings of a good time!

We had to move the rope and the drum, they were getting really hot!

Because we had so much rain the other day, the burn ban has been temporarily lifted in the area. People have months and months of burnable throwaway stuff to burn, and it is obvious where most people live... you can see the smoke. My neighbor was no different, and had a hay ring full of old timber, feed bags, bushes, sticks, you name it, he had it piled about four feet high or so. One match later to a feed bag, and within minutes the entire hay ring was engulfed in flames! It burned so hot everyone who showed up for the bonfire all grabbed their chairs and moved back almost 20 feet! It was hot, and I think the only time I have seen flames that high on a bonfire (or close to it) was when I stacked up five pallets at my buddy Chris's house and lit them up. It was a fun time last night, we made smores and cooked hotdogs (after the flames died down). After everyone got their fill on hotdogs and smores, my neighbor and I took this huge old dog house that must have weighed a ton and threw (rolled) it onto the fire, after a little while we had a legit structure fire going on! It took about an hour to burn all the way to a crisp, and like if it was magic, just at the right time, the kids started geting cranky as the sugar wore off and it was time to go home! Great fun, neighbor friend filled night.

Didn't take long for the dog house to really get going.

You know you love the hair!

Pretty... and pretty hot!

Dog house, fully engulfed

That same neighbor, works at the local trash disposal area driving the big bulldozer and also a dump truck when they need him to. Well, earlier on in the week, he was taking a load of trash to the top of the dump with the dump truck, when the truck stalled and died... on the slope. Apparently, when this particular dump truck kills it's engine, all the other stuff goes out too... hydraulics, power steering, emergency and regular brakes... don't ask me why, but this truck does and should probably get fixed... and I hope it will now, cause when it died, it started rolling backwards down the hill. It went off a small embankment, sideways, and gave my neighbor quite the scare, a few bruises... and a concussion. A few days later, he is still having headaches and is struggling through the day a bit. So this morning, I offered (kinda eagerly) to help him with his horses. Today, my neighbor stood on the sidelines and I  exercised his horse's. My neighbor and I ended up taking the horse's for a nice hour long ride through the back country this morning too. It has been since college since I have been on the back of a horse, so it was a real pleasure helping out a friend, and getting some riding time out of the deal too! After over an hour or so worth of riding, I could feel it in my legs and butt too. And I know I should have been wearing jeans and boots, but really it wasn't all that bad, and that was the easiest horse I have ever ridden! Lord knows when Ill ever get to ride again, so it was worth the small amount of soreness that came from it.

Yeah.. I am awesome.

You just knew I had to pose in front of my F250!