4/26/11

4/26/11
For the last half of yesterday I raked the wooded trail running from the main guest lodging to the yoga and conference centers. I had walked it the day before and remembered it being just a few leaves and sticks, nothing major besides a slim downed tree across the path, easy to maneuver. When I actually brought my rake up there the work turned out to be much more. Not difficult exactly, just enduring. But there's something about trail maintenance & raking in general. Of all gardening tasks, it is the one I enjoy the most. You only need a good spring rake, (& occasionally a chain saw) and that's it. There's no heavy lifting, or bending for that matter. A constant repetition with both hands who's work can be focused in your core, to rest your arms though continuing to rake.
The path was bordered on each side by a line of rocks. Uncovered by leaves it exposed a path that was about 5' wide, enough for two people to walk side by side. The path's rocks went around the trees adjacent to the path, including them, the first I've seen. A tree-hugging yet wondrous idea. There's something about clearing a path free of all debris, leafless; and looking back through the woods dark rich dirt cobbled with stones, Defined and curving.
I got my upper body work out for the day... or so I thought. Later in the day I helped the maintenance guy, my buddy, collect burnable debris from around campus*, mostly wet, soaked boards and logs that became eye sores. The 'unusables' people throw 'out back'. Where they start out as being a "perfectly good 2x6" and never get used, just begin tho rot. We collect a pick-up's worth and lit it up. Wet on the outside but dry on the inside (there were a few pressure treated boards in the mix... sorry mother nature!). This fire burned hot. There were also 2 old shit houses in the burn; ancient outhouses (1970's?). After my buddy loaded them one at a time onto the pick-up, he manhandled one onto the fire. Though we thought it might just smolder, everything went up like a volcano! 20' flames, a fire as hot as hell. Hot as a shithouse on fire. (The small tar paper roof may have accelerated things, the white trash in us coming out. Lo siento.)
* A term I use in exchange for 'the property'.