Yesterday was a good day for us. The weather cooperated, and the burn began as planned. Temperature levels, humidity, wind speed, and constant wind direction don’t line up as often as we would hope. So far, we couldn’t have asked for better burn conditions. Better still, the forecast is for a similar day today. I awoke early this morning, invigorated and excited to check in with Lindsey. We rode out together to check on his crew and ensure everyone was ready.
Sunday is a rest day, so we are ready for an exciting river outing. Today we drove around the Catoosa Wildlife area to paddle Clear Creek of the Obed River. This is a beautiful stretch of river that is the only federally protected waterway in the state of Tennessee. The water quality lives up to…
Out walking on Winter Road this morning, I stepped into the woods to check out some of the recently burned woods. In addition to clearing the underbrush and allowing us to reseed native grasses that will prove fodder for our cattle for years to come, we are also restoring the habitat of the Northern Bobwhite….
I’ve been looking forward to today for weeks. In addition to being a steward for Coal Creek Farm, since I moved to TN I have become an avid whitewater canoeist. Canoeing is a sport that’s origins trace back to the native peoples who farmed this land for centuries. Coal Creek, Whites Creek and Powder Creek…
I was excited to head out this morning and walk through the newly-burned fields. It’s always interesting to see the land in this charred state. Even though the fire engulfed the pre-planned areas, some shrubs and trees remain unscathed. It’s called a “patchy” burn which creates a diverse “mosaic” on the landscape. Still, much of…
It’s Sunday, so it’s time to go paddling. We headed out to paddle one of my favorite local rivers. We are fortunate that we live so close to the Catoosa Wildlife Area and have the skills to navigate down the Daddy’s Creek Canyon. This beautiful and exciting whitewater river is less than 30 minutes from…
I didn’t sleep well last night. Two years ago, while performing a controlled burn, we had the wind pick up in the evening, and our fire threatened to get away from us. I will never forget it. Though we contained the blaze, the memory is a reminder, a warning, of how quickly a controlled burn…