Collecting the trash, filling the hole

I went out today to finish picking up the trash I had unearthed in the fire lane.

I filled five small garbage bags and a bucket full of recyclables.

I then filled the hole as well as I could. There's always a volume deficit when you haul out that much. It will equalize over time.

Buried trash, lots of trash

This was somewhat llike the case of pulling on a loose string and unraveling a piece of clothing, only worse.
One the way back to the gate from the fence repair work, I noticed what appeared to be a piece of orange extension cord poking out of the sand. I pulled it. Nothing happened.
The only digging tools I had with me were my hands and hte posthole digger I'd used to make the fence repair, neither of which was suitable

I returned today with a shovel. Two hours later I was able to free the cord along with three bagfuls of garbage and a couple of wheelbarrows full of recyclables.

This reminds me of the incident a year or two ago when an attempt to unearth a stray piece of metal ended up with the exhumation of a long-buried lawnmower.

I also picked up some stuff thrown over the fence, including some pieces from a mobile home someone across the fence was demolishing.

There's more trash along the edge. It gives me something to do.

I also need to fill in the hole when my back muscles recover from digging it.

New fence, new cut

I had been wondering how long it would be before someone would cut the new double fence around the north tract.

I discovered the cut today behind a lot where someone had been demolishing an old mobile home, which is the dominant housing type on the north boundary.
I'm not sure what the purpose was other than to let dogs in, judging by the partial cut of barbed wire and new fence, which somewhat resembles hogwire.
Anyway, fixed the cut with a couple of fence posts, some fence staples and some concrete debris.

I discovered the fence during a periodic check for litter popping up form the sand. On the way out from the fence repair, I stumbled onto a new subterranean pile. The only clue was a piece of extension cord. I don't know how much of a pile there is. It was getting dark and I left after excavating part of it, but it may be extensive.
I'll know more tomorrow.

One more pile

While I was fixing the one bench that was burned, I discovered one more pile that needs to be leveled. I had thought there was another, but couldn't recall where it was.

There was, of course, some more trash, there. Between that and another pile I found recently, I left with another truckload.

Eek! It's a Shriek, er Shrike

The open, burned landscape has attracted a new bird species.

Today, I saw the first Loggerhead Shrike I'd ever seen on the property. They aren't a forest bird.

I recently saw an American Kestrel, too,. Actually, I saw two, but the first one appeared to chase away the second one. I have not seen any kestrels since, so it may have been a bird of passage or an opportunist.

Leveling the piles

Now that a few weeks have passed and it has rained, I've decided to level the burn piles.

I've also found some trash and carried it offsite.

I've also found a few other pieces of trash as I' ve been walking through the burned areas, but not a lot, which I feel good about.

Another thing. Even after this time and some rain, one pile still had a small hot spot.

Rain and regrowth

After a rainless October, ww had .0.80 inch this week.

Following the burn, a few sprigs of grass are emerging. So are saw palmettos.
Garberia is blooming now, which is especially noticeable in the othewise charred landscape.

I'm still finding some trash.

The ash heaps at the burn piles should be leveled. I'll deal with in soon.

A more pleasant journey north

I just learned today that CSX Corp. is finally planning to repair that horrid railroad crossing just north of the preserve on Hobbs Road.

Happy days. I travel that way sometimes, but I don't like it.