Friday evening as we prepared dinner we were serenaded by coyotes. A very loud sound... very close... easily heard through the closed windows.
Never saw them. They were not in our immediate back yard; but they were a little close for comfort.
Thinking about their unexpected visit I decided that they were on the move because of the burning that is taking place in the valley behind us. "Controlled" burns of piles that have been there for several years now.
I fear they were on the move not because of the smoke; but because the burns were destroying their homes.
I am opposed to burning slash piles for several reasons.
First, the air pollution generated by the smoke. Our atmosphere is not an endless "sink" into which we can continually pour waste without consequence...although "officials" here would disagree.
Second, the deplorable waste of materials. If nothing else, surely someone needs the wood for heat. Yes, it is burned; but at least the heat is beneficial to someone in the process.
Third, surely in the years that the piles lie there drying, animals (rabbits, mice, coyotes???, etc) move in and make dens. These animals become trapped when the fire starts... I won't elaborate from there. We were burning in our yard a few months ago... it was a fresh pile... when a mouse came to visit Rod and enjoy the heat of the fire for a moment. They watched each other briefly then the mouse moved back into the shadows. We have since see the mouse tracks in the snow. The mouse apparently have a home elsewhere. He has a right... as long as it is not within the walls of the house I built.
So, we plan to spend this summer cleaning up the burn piles in our yard. Anything large enough to process through the stove will be stacked for cutting and splitting later. Smaller stuff will be chipped for mulch around the shrubs. Sounds like much better use for the materials that many consider waste...
So, at least I can help a little and avoid a little smoke next year.
