Where There Is Smoke, There Is ROSEWATER

So today I took the biggest step yet toward actually living on the farm--I started shoveling out the grain shed. That sentence pretty much sums up my expectations for the day, however life should always be an adventure.

Part of the roof is gone, and so half of the shed was being rained on. I focused on the other part. Shoveling and sweeping is generally not very complicated, but even so it was easier than I expected. It really was mostly dirt, except for along the back wall, where there was a pile of old, empty feed bags that had been there for many years. I started moving them into the remains of the chicken coop (to prevent them from becoming sodden, disintegrating bags), but then realized that I could just burn them off under the shed's adjoining lean-to. Between the rain and the large dirt area, I figured there was no problem with a little, five-minute fire.

Things I learned today:
1) Smoke usually floats up and disperses, however this is not the case when it is raining.
2) Under this condition, the smoke blows into an open window, and then blows out through the holes in the roof.
3) When seen from the road, this situation looks quite serious.
4) Brandon, a childhood friend who lives down the road, is a volunteer firefighter. So are several other people who live within five miles.
5) A firetruck cannot make it down my driveway when it has been raining.
6) From October 15 through May 15, anyone starting an open-air fire within 500 feet of a forest, grassland, or woodland must by law secure a burning permit from the Division of Forestry.

Although I felt bad that all of these people had to come out in the rain, I was glad to know that people in the area are looking out for their neighbors' safety, and that it takes very little time for firefighters to arrive. On top of that, one of the guys who came to put out my tiny, tiny fire offered to help me install the gate on the driveway. If dad doesn't come around to help me with that soon, I just may take him up on that. The backwoods of Dickson seems like a good place to live today.