It doesn't seem like rainy season has started across east central Florida, yet, this year. Its been miserably hot and sometimes overcast as debris clouds from the west coast stream overhead, but very little rain has fallen. Statistically (over the past 30 years) Florida's rainy season should have started around May 27. The last few years have been pitifully dry. We wait 6 months of the year for the rain to come, and it seems to evaporate before reaching us.
We have had a few tremendous pop-up thunderstorms. In one a twister came down and knocked down 50 trees on our land and that of our neighbors. This is the resulting piles of debris, bonfires, and wood-piles that have resulted from the brief but wild weather.
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These bonfires always remind me of the UK group Lamb's 1999 "Bonfire" on their Fear of Fours album.
Have you ever wondered why those days exist
When life just seems to be a conspiracy against you
I don't know where the answer lie
But I try not to get hung up on the questions
And I burn like a good bonfire
In whatever I do
Burn like a good bonfire
And I know I'll come through
Henry David Thoreau said of wood piles
"Every man looks upon his wood pile with a sort of affection."
We should all long for those simpler times!
And more of Lamb's lyrics:
The time is long overdue for a house clearing of the soul
We all get so complicated in our lives
When walking just walk
When sitting just sit
When being just be
Above all don't stray from your chosen path
And burn like a good bonfire
In whatever you do
Burn like a good bonfire
And I know you'll come through
Burn like a good bonfire
In whatever you do
Burn like a good bonfire
And may peace come to you
The time is long overdue for a house clearing of the soul
We all get so complicated in our lives
Burn like a good bonfire
In whatever you do
Just burn like a good bonfire
And I know you'll come through
Burn like a good bonfire
In whatever you do
Burn like a good bonfire
And may strength flow through you
I posted a few of these photos on instagram and I found a whole wood-pile loving community. Who knew? Try#woodpile
Tones and textures of a woodpile become abstract art.
also try
#wood #lumberjack #woods #trees #timber
I think my favorite so far is
his woodpiles are true works of art
and he liked mine back even though
I'm sure he thought it quite lame by comparison
definitely makes our Florida wood piles look a bit wimpy. . .
Some other sayings about woodpiles:
There's a snake in every woodpile
Somehow I imagine there is more than one here.
and
Leave the woodpile higher than you found it
(secret to a happy life)
and what nature-lover could ever forget the poem of
the little bird and the wood-pile by Robert Frost?
Would the world today be a better place if we took the
time to remember such things? I say, yes.
The Wood-Pile
by Robert Frost
Out walking in the frozen swamp one gray day,
I paused and said, 'I will turn back from here.
No, I will go on farther—and we shall see.'
The hard snow held me, save where now and then
One foot went through. The view was all in lines
Straight up and down of tall slim trees
Too much alike to mark or name a place by
So as to say for certain I was here
Or somewhere else: I was just far from home.
A small bird flew before me. He was careful
To put a tree between us when he lighted,
And say no word to tell me who he was
Who was so foolish as to think what he thought.
He thought that I was after him for a feather—
The white one in his tail; like one who takes
Everything said as personal to himself.
One flight out sideways would have undeceived him.
And then there was a pile of wood for which
I forgot him and let his little fear
Carry him off the way I might have gone,
Without so much as wishing him good-night.
He went behind it to make his last stand.
It was a cord of maple, cut and split
And piled—and measured, four by four by eight.
And not another like it could I see.
No runner tracks in this year's snow looped near it.
And it was older sure than this year's cutting,
Or even last year's or the year's before.
The wood was gray and the bark warping off it
And the pile somewhat sunken. Clematis
Had wound strings round and round it like a bundle.
What held it though on one side was a tree
Still growing, and on one a stake and prop,
These latter about to fall. I thought that only
Someone who lived in turning to fresh tasks
Could so forget his handiwork on which
He spent himself, the labor of his ax,
And leave it there far from a useful fireplace
To warm the frozen swamp as best it could
With the slow smokeless burning of decay.
So until the next storm. . . our neighborhood woodpile
Road to Rio:
Men's Sevens Rugby is back
Who to watch
Chris Wyles
6-foot, 205 pound Wyles (@ChrisWyles) made his Eagles debut at the 2007 Churchill Cup in Stockport, England, against England. Wyles has played with and captained the Eagles Sevens team as well. Currently, Wyles plays professionally for Saracens in the Aviva Premiership. He was pivotal in the 2014-15 squad starting at a variety of positions--full back, center and wing--during the season. The Saracens went on to win the Premiership Final defeating Bath by a score of 28-16. Wyles started at wing and played the entire 80 minutes.
Ed Jenkins
Sevens games last just 14 minutes, but play six of them in one weekend and with a significant chunk running at “high intensity” and you start to understand why sevens players have to be a mix of sprinter, middle-distance runner and muscular footy player.
Or to put it another way, why they have to look like 6'2", 210 pound (95 kg) Aussie captain Ed Jenkins.
It’s all fairly simple: with less people on the field, you have to do a lot more. Measured by GPS units, sevens players will run an average of 1.5km to 1.8km per game. Total distance on a weekend is similar to one 15s game but the big difference is how much is done at “high intensity” levels.
Sevens players clock up 8% of total distance at high intensity — double or triple the normal level of a 15s player in a game. Most sevens players will hit top speed (nearing 10 metres per second) several times, whereas 15s players often won’t hit it at all.
Jenkins can run 40 metres in under 5 seconds, putting him in the top bracket of Super Rugby speedsters.
Tom Mitchell
Named England captain in January 2014, the 26-year-old excelled in his first full series, in 2013-14, and was the top points scorer with 358 that campaign, some 98 points ahead of Fijian flyer Samisoni Viriviri. Struggled with injury last term, but when fit he is the beating heart of England – as evidenced by his inclusion in the dream team of the 2014-15 series.
Cameron Clark
The former Australian Schoolboy international – son of Greg, Fox Sports' main rugby commentator – turned 23 in March and the talented Auckland-born back has been a mainstay of the sevens side since making his debut in the 2012 tournament in Wellington.
Seabelo Senatla
One of three South Africans to make the dream team last year, alongside Kwagga Smith – who has struggled with injury and form so far this term – and Werner Kok. Was the leading try scorer.
Sonny Bill Williams
The 30-year-old multi-code mega-star has already represented New Zealand at rugby union, rugby union (and in 2015 won his second World Cup medal, before promptly giving it away to a lucky fan at Twickenham), and even boxing. The back, famed for his outrageous off-loads in the tackle, will make his sevens debut in Wellington and has set his sights on Olympic gold – more medals for his collection.
Osea Kolinisau
The Fijian captain will make history if he can inspire his country to win their first-ever Olympic medal later on this year, when sevens makes its bow. The 30-year-old is an all-round talent, and a livewire of a player. He made his debut in 2008, and scored the most points overall in the 2015-16 campaign, with 312, making him a shoo-in for a dream team berth.
Perry Baker
Ahead of round two, in Cape Town, the former American Football flier had amassed 34 tries in 10 tournaments, including six in Dubai, the opening event of the 2015-16 campaign. The USA winger is keeping out the fastest man in rugby, Carlin Isles, so 'speedstick' is certainly one to watch.
Madison Hughes
The former Wellington College schoolboy, who won the Rosslyn Park National Schools Sevens in 2011, is the current America captain, and the 23-year old led from the front last term. The scrum-half and goal kicker amassed 296 points – second only to Fijian captain Osea Kolinisau (312) – and has started the 2015-16 series in impressive form.
Rieko Ioane
A frighteningly talented player, and the younger brother of Māori All Blacks and fellow New Zealand Sevens player Akira Ioane. Burst on to the international scene in Wellington early in 2015, scoring six tries – including two in the final against England, which the hosts won. Not bad work for a 17-year old, as he was then.
Terry Bouhraoua
After the first two round of the 2015-16 campaign the French captain, 28, was joint-equal in the scoring charts, on 113 with Fijian Vatemo Ravouvou, having crossed for 11 tries. The diminutive scrum-half, 5' 5", has been part of the French sevens set up since 2010, after spells with Brive, Stade Francais and Beziers.
Savenaca Rawaca
Crossed for 42 tries last season – second only to Seabelo Senatla, the South African (47) – and after two rounds of their campaign gone has already managed 10. Was named in the dream team in 2014-15, and proving equally tricky to stop this series.