A Fire Like No Other

Hey Guys,
Just let me tell you about today.  Did my thing at work, and then had 2 meetings afterwards, came home and decided that today was a good day to declutter.  Not just clean out a closet or something, lets just start a fire and burn up the huge willow tree that was chopped down last summer. I wanted to declutter my back yard.  My son and I had attempted this a month ago when there was snow on the ground, and we did burn a lot.  But, there she was, cut in charred thirds waiting.  I rolled one large piece the size of a city trash can to a spot in the vegetable garden and immediately applied newpaper, lit a match and poof!
knowingly, I watched the dry grass around the wood burn, stammped and manuvered the dirt with my shoe and then the wind blew...
The fire leaped across the boundries I had set for a casual burn and was on to a patch of dead grass, oh boy!  It was intense.  It was one of those moments when you ask yourself "do I run and hook up the hose, or do I battle this thing?"  The only tool laying about was a plastic snow shovel.  I had one glove on because I couldn't find the other and there I was in the midst of my own, "thriller..."  It burnt very quickly.  When I thought I had one area under control another would ignite.  Thank goodness that when the fire reached the horse pasture it stopped at the fence.  It kept creaping towards my mountain however... nothing but dead grasses for 5 acres... I beat and I beat the ground with my snow shovel, dancing back and forth to the blaze.  Finally, the fire was in control.  Now I  have a large chunk of blackened earth.   Sweet green blades of grass are already peeping from the blackness.  I had to scrub my legs to get the ashes off.  My hat and heart goes out to firefighters who perform this task everyday.  You should see my snow shovel.  And yes,  I have a burn permit.  What a day.