Jan and John Maggs Antiques

Our Ashfield Odyssey

Part 2: First Winter -- January to May 2005 -- p. 2

Meanwhile, clearing, milling, and burning continued. During this period we spent several days each week working with Steve and Tom carrying tree tops and other brush to huge burn piles, so that we could keep the site clear and the woodpiles growing. Each morning we dialed the fire dispatch number to get a permit to burn. Within a few weeks, the dispatch staff could recognize our voices. One morning, one of them commented, "You must have quite a project going there!"

It's not easy to describe the size and intensity of some of these fires. It is even more difficult to capture the feeling of red-hot embers sailing through the air, often landing on a piece of clothing or an exposed neck!

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