Homestead mailing list

["Lynda" <lurine AT softcom.net>]

We will also be clearing all brush from the whole 12 acres.  We found out
this week that the folks a couple of properties south of us lost some foals
to mountain lions.  The kidlet goes nowhere without her pitbull and my hound
but I don't want to encourage predators by allowing hiding places.  The
other property has tones of manzanita and other brush, STILL.  You'd think
they'd figure out that they have provided an ideal place for the big cats to
wait for an unsuspecting foal to wander over to.

AND, like it or not, I think we will be clearing some of the neighbor to the
north's brush.  Since there are no fences between properties, nor have they
been surveyed on the north side I'll just say "oops" if he complains <g>

The hound has already been having fits over something wandering to the north
of us and that's good enough for me!

That house has a metal roof and aluminum siding.  We have a lawn (grey
water) in the front and the plants we have are heavy on the water content
and low on the oil content.

Lynda

Lynda
----- Original Message -----
From: Don Bowen <don.bowen AT earthlink.net>
To: <homestead AT lists.ibiblio.org>
Sent: Sunday, September 26, 2004 8:42 AM
Subject: [Homestead] Fire safe was: Innumeracy and housebuilding
>
> I have become a bit more experienced in fires than I would like.  We had
> one 8 years ago where we thought the house was gone and then one a year
ago
> that burned my son's house to the ground and took my work truck.  I lost
my
> bees again in the last one but with preparation the fire did not get near
> the house.  I did manage to stop the fire at the creek behind the house .
>
> Fire management is fuel management.  Get the fuel under control and the
> rest becomes easier.  I cleared all the brush about 125' away from the
> house.  The first fire burned to within 40 feet because low grass and
> ornamentals shrubs provided fuel.  After that fire I cleared over 150'
away
> and choose replacements carefully, looking for low growing plants with wet
> leaves.  I also disked fire breaks all over the place.  I keep the small
> brush cut back and cut the grass early in the spring to keep the total
fuel
> load low.