Mono Monday : : Compact

My fascination with Queen Anne's Lace continues, and this photo of the seed head seemed a good example of something compact. Especially when compared with the extra which shows it in a more 'expansive' phase.

We have a  renegade neighbor who has a large property next to the creek and has very large bonfires in a big fire pit under the trees. In this tinder dry environment the neighbors, who can see these bonfires from their homes are freaked out. Apparently these neighbors were seen taking a picture of the last bonfire*. They called the fire department,  but the fire had been doused by the time three fire trucks and the fire Marshall arrived...

I  called  our County Supervisor's office. She was shocked by the picture taken by the neighbors of the fire in question. She is particularly concerned, since she lost her own house in the October fires,  but the only law against having a massive bonfire under the trees in a fire prone area is if it is on a 'spare the air' day! 

So let me see if I have this right. You can't have a barbecue if the air quality is deemed so poor that the Air Quality Management District declares a 'spare the air' day. Today the air is very smoky and there is not a breath of wind to blow it away, but it's not a 'spare the air day'. I checked. I don't know what is required to have one declared. I checked that too....

You can have a bonfire which threatens to burn down the neighborhood, and the neighbors are encouraged to call the fire department, but the fire department can't do anything about it because it's not illegal....unless it’s a ‘spare the air’ day.

We were not allowed to repair our old wood burning fireplace . We had to put in a gas one, but it is ok to have an open fire outside 'for cooking or warming'.

I think it's a case of too many agencies and jurisdictions...and not enough common sense....

*second extra