It felt like a warm, sunny Spring day.  The snow had all melted and the ground was wet.  The brush piles on the South end of the loop trail were wet from the recent rain, but the steady Westerly breeze promised all the support we would need, and we started lighting fires.

Lindsay and I lit 45 piles and Rich arrived shortly after noon to help us mop up.

Highway 67 is visible through the smoke above on the left and we got a call from the North Prairie Fire Chief investigating a complaint.  I’m not sure if it was a motorist or someone living East of the forest beyond Hwy 67.  The chief just wanted to confirm that we were the party that had called in that morning to notify them of our burning plans.  The smoke was never heavy or thick on the road.  What are they complaining about?

After the piles had settled down, Lindsay, Rich and I took a grand tour around the Springs.  It was the first time Rich was able to hang out with us after working, and we had a great time enjoying the scenery and envisioning the future.

You might wonder if perhaps we had inhaled a little too much smoke when you listen to this conversation.

There is a new depth gauge at the site of the ground water flow monitoring station.

We gave the piles one last stir after our walk and then Lindsay and Rich headed for home.  I lingered and watched the fires that that grew so low…

See you at the Springs!