In Search of Hot August Nights

I have company this weekend. My sister-in-law is in town from Missouri to attend her granddaughter’s wedding. After picking her up from the airport we arrived back at my place to get dinner ready for the granddaughter and her fiancé. It was a rather whirlwind day with final cleaning of the abode to a polished shine. Showing off my treasure was high on my list that day. The weather was almost co-operative with temps in the low 80’s. I even got a few more feet of fence board stained and every plant well-watered before making the final touches on dinner. I did forget one little thing.

My sister-in-law smokes. I knew this but somehow the brain did not register that there would be a need for a butt receptacle. Yes, I put chairs on the deck so she could sit quietly staring at the trees while she enjoyed a few moments of peace before retiring for the night. It was well after 11 pm, her time. As we said our final good nights we each asked what was that smell? It smelled like someone roasting marshmallows over a fire. My neighbor two doors down has a fir pit and I suggested that tech support (my son) take a look and see if he could see it. One thing led to another and no one looked to see if the neighbor had a fire going on the hill with it being banned due to high fire danger.

At 1:00 a.m. I heard a beep, beep, beep. I got out of bed and it stopped. Turning towards my bed, it started once again. We have also had warnings of bobcat sightings here as the weather is so dry. The beeping was coming from the annoying motion sensor my overzealous, paranoid son put up all around my house. One beep is someone is at the back, two if someone is on the driveway side and three for the front porch area. My son did not wake up to the sound. I shut the darn thing off.

I peeked out the back door window and was surprised to see … FLAMES! What the heck. Who would start a fire on my deck? What manner of prank was this? At 1:00 a.m. my wits were not about me so I did what any sensible person would do. No, not dial 911 for the fire department, I called tech support. Opening his door, I called his name and said “we have fire”. Then I ran for the hose which was at the top of the terraces where I had last watered. The hose was caught. In spite of probable bats and possible bobcats, I got the darn thing loose. That’s me not swearing here, just so you know.

As I turned around to bring the hose down, overzealous, paranoid tech support was fast at work with one of those fancy fire extinguisher thingy’s that I also thought was a waste of money. I’m old and have never needed one before. Why spend all that money. Today’s lesson will be how to use one. :))

I had given my sister-in-law an empty paint can with some mulch in it, that I was certain would snuff out her cigarette just like sand does. My whole yard is filled with it. I’m rethinking that quite strongly at this moment. Maybe rock will be a better option. She feels responsible. I am.

 

Butts here please. Well, maybe not.

The metal ring is all that is left of the paint can.

The burn went to the support structure.

I’m cracking up that the decision to replace the rotting wood of that deck with Trex has been made after much agonizing. We replaced one board already that had twisted out of shape from the rain and now the whole deck was out of balance. I’ve stumbled several times. There is a board close to the steps that is all but rotted through and a step was twisted from the rain and lack of care. Yup, decision made.

There are more changes to this place on the horizon. We were very lucky this morning. Blessed in so many ways. I have no photos of the fire. My son said it looked cool for just a moment before he put it out. This was one August night that got a little too hot and there weren’t even any marshmallows.

 

Have you had any hot August nights?

 

From my heart to yours,

Marlene Herself