puttin out the fire

Small fire I put out on the side of the road

 Today was a lazy day for the most part. Since I went to bed so early last night I was wide awake at 5 AM so got up and put on some coffee.  The wife and I enjoyed a quite morning sipping coffee as we waited for the lady who came to buy our StreetStrider to show up.  She arrived at around 9 AM and we had a nice long visit as we demonstrated it.  After loading it we came in for coffee and to hear her and my wife talk you would think they had known each other for years.  My bent riding friend called and invited me to go riding after lunch  but I have been sore all day I skipped the invitation to go. However, the wife and I did make a quick trip to town, I picked up my bike chain and she bought some shoes.  We ate lunch on the way home at a Mexican restaurant. We got home around  2 PM, and I took a nap.  I got up around 4 PM  and the wife needed me to run to Grant to pick up a few things for supper.  On my way home from the store I saw a small fire just off the road just a little ways up the road from the house. I did not see anyone tending the fire so I  stopped to take a quick look and see if I could put it out.  I decided I better dial 911 just in case.  I happened to see an empty pine bark sack across the road in the ditch and grabbed it as I dialed.

works purdy good for fire swattin!

 I climbed the steep bank just as the dispatcher answered the phone and was already out of breath.  As I was swatting the flames I coughed out that I was at a small brush fire on Randles Rd.  She had no idea where that was (may not have completely understood me) but wanted to know what this was close to.  In my excitement I couldn't think of a nearby landmark but finally remembered Hardees is just a couple of miles away.  By now I had a feeling I was going to be able to put it out myself so I told her to wait a minute before sending out the fire department.  I'm sure she got a kick out of listening to me as I swatted and coughed but I kept the conversation going as I fought the blaze. I was completely out of breath and could hardly talk by the time I got it out but told her it was OK now and thanks for her help.  She did ask if I was OK before I got off the phone, I think she was worried I might have a heart attack.  Anyways,  I told her I was OK but had breathed in a lot of smoke. I drove on home and unloaded the groceries.  The wife met me on the porch wondering why it had taken me so long.  After explaining she said she had smelled smoke shortly after I left but figured it was one of the neighbors burning leaves. Oh, well, all's well that ends well, but I did mess up my favorite hat and now I've got to figure out how to get the soot off of it.