Ah…so it is Monday then?

I have deliberately not posted about Corona virus over these past weeks. Not that I don’t recognise the huge impact it is having on people’s lives – from not only the obvious health related aspects on family, friends and loved ones, but the economic and social aspects as well….but there are many posts on many sites and I don’t think I can really add to what is being said, other than that I have the greatest sympathy and concern for anyone suffering from this at the moment.

However one of the impacts of the different lives we are living at the moment is that the days of the week really blur and we lose the structure of our normal weeks. I have also been taking some annual leave from work as well and this too has helped merge the days.

Anyway, net result is that today is Monday…and I seem to have lost Sunday, somewhere in the days after Friday and Saturday so the planned Sunday post now is being published on a Monday.

So how have I spent today?

Well, mostly tending to a fire!

Despite living in a highly technological world, there seems to be something hardwired into us males that draws us to making and tending to fires (it also manifests itself for most men with barbecues, but that’s a tale for another day!)

I have quite a large garden, and have spent much of my free time over the last two to three weeks trimming trees, shrubs and generally tidying up. Net result… a huge pile of branches, twigs and general garden waste that would fill a room! I have been determined to burn this pile for many days now but each day so far has not been right… too windy, too wet, too wet and windy, too nice (neighbours in garden and windows all open), and so on…..

But today all conditions were perfect, so a bonfire was called for, and a huge and satisfying blaze ensued.

Now I really like bonfires…but its really not so much the blazing inferno at the beginning as in some ways they just are a sad reminder of the various forest fires we have seen this year.

But actually its more than just the hunter, gatherer, fire maker urges in me being satisfied. What I really enjoy is the residual smouldering pile that remains and will burn quietly for hours or sometimes days, occasionally flaring up, but always sending little wisps of smoke.