NOW
Saturday - April 12, 2003
More Weeds
We’re having beautiful
weather and with the time change, it really feels like summer. Unlike last
spring, we’ve had sufficient rain to green up the surrounding hills and
sprout the annual wild flowers. It’s my favorite time of year and I’ve
learned to savor the moment while it lasts. Soon the tall grass will turn
brown and I’ll be hustling to clear the property of fire fuel. Timing is
important when planning my brush clearing activities. If I start too early,
the weeds will grow back and I’ll have to re-do my efforts. I have to look
for that perfect window of opportunity when the weeds are just starting to
decline and the spring rains have ended for the season. Even then, I’ll be
looking towards a good three weeks of running the weed whacker and pushing
our brush-chipping mower.
On our property, it’s a
big job that can get even more complicated if the forest service gets
involved. The forest service has stringent requirements regarding what is
considered fire safe and we don’t always see “eye to eye”. Catherine & I
lean towards being “tree huggers” and Catherine is particularly sensitive
about preserving a number of native plants that inhabit our area. For my
part, I have to admit that most of the spring growth looks like weeds to me.
Catherine, on the other hand, knows the scientific name of every innocuous
looking plant that grows for miles around. One wrong move with the weed
eater and I’ll have some explaining to do.
