Underhill in July

 Last Friday I met Kerrie at Marulan where we had lunch at the Lazy George cafe on a very windy day. We then headed down to Underhill and started pruning weeds to clear for summer fire risk. 

Kerrie was a great help with the pruning and by late afternoon the wind had died down enough for us to start burning off the rubbish but because we were concerned that the wind could start up again we only lit one fire.

That evening I actually received the first phone call I have ever received at Underhill and it actually was quite clear although the caller said I was breaking up a bit.

Geoff and family arrived at about 6pm so we were able to have a lovely evening together adding a few more bits to the fire to see all the sparkles which the girls love watching. They also like poking the fire with long Xanthorrhoea spikes.

In the calm of the early morning we lit another fire where the watering tank used to be near the top dam. This area has become quite overgrown with some large stumps of Casuarina and well established young trees creating a real fire risk. With a hose from one of the tanks we were able to contain the fire and at least start that job. However, we made sure not to set the stumps alight as they would have burned underground for some time.

Again, the girls loved helping, becoming quite fire aware and filling buckets or training hoses on the parts we did not want burned.

 Of course, with all this heat around, Ponyo decided it must be a hot day so headed for the dam but only went in as far as her underbelly as it would have been quite cold.

Kerrie left at about 9am then Geoff and I started tidying the shipping container which had not been done since Nathan had removed his things from it. Now at least we can see where things are and put more things in during Geoff's house clearing.

We left soon after 12 noon and headed home, arriving home mid afternoon exhausted and filthy but happy to have reduced the fire risk a little.