Spring bonfire

On the morning of 22 April the weather was just how I like it for making a bonfire. The outside temperature in the shade was a little less than 15°C, there was hardly any wind, and it had been dry for a week. That itself is unusual in Argyll but it does happen and April seems a good month for such wee dry spells. So I made my bonfire of dry twigs and leaves and added chopped lengths of the woodshed rose that I'd chopped down in the autumn. That metal bar you can see in the photo is the edge of an old bed base. There are two tangled up in the spiraea up in the top west corner. I expect they were put there, possibly as part of the fence, once upon a long time ago.

This is the woodshed rose in July 2013. I just don't want it to grow right up the side of the house any more because it sends its vigorous shoots into the eaves and would damage the roof if we let it. It is looking robust this spring so don't worry, I will just limit its imperialism a bit!

woodshed rose

also woodshed rose, same plant

I kept back some thicker pieces and will let them dry out more. We can use them in the stove in due course. They are resting right now on the other old bed base.


After that I cleared out the messier side of the tool shed where Toad had flung various bits of sailing gear. It was hot enough in the sun and under a thin shed roof to be dressed in shorts and a vest top (the British kind, not the American).

Perfect spring weather. Not too hot and still comfortably cool in the shade. I'd be very happy for summers to be like this, especially the midge-free part! The blighters will start biting soon.

Inspired by Nick Ray (@LifeAfloat), I left a small tower of the stones I unearthed from the spiraea and grey sallow hacking last autumn up by the bonfire patch.