Small Town America; the Simple Life

 Last weekend was the first really nice weekend of the spring. The weekend before was warmer, but a little rainy. I still managed to get quite a bit of yard work done. Winter came early last year so there was quite a bit of work to do around the yard. See, here in New Hampshire we had allot of snowfall this Winter. As a matter of fact it was the second snowiest Winter in history, missing the record by four inches. However, it is New England and we still have a chance to break the record. So much for global warming, it missed us up here.

 But last weekend was perfect in small town America. I was able to spend a Sunday just cleaning up the yard. Raking and gathering sticks. It is the gathering of sticks that leads to a tradition of sorts for our family. A day of yard work that will be rewarded by fire in the backyard. All true New Hampshirites revel in a good bonfire, it is part of New Hampshire tradition. It is this tradition that makes the yard work more bearable and less tedious. It was Timmy who suggested that this would be the perfect night for our first fire of the year. He gleefully told me about how the temperature was going to get a little chilly as the day wore on. That would bode well for the grand finale of our traditional burning of the sticks.

 Sunday morning I went to the fire station to get my fire permit. This is the only problem I have with the whole ritual. The fact that I need a permit to have a fire on my own private property, and that I can only burn at a certain time, I am a little bitter about that. But that is for another day.

 As the day wore on and the yard began to look more presentable I snuck in the house just in time to watch the Red Sox score four runs in the eighth inning to take the lead and eventually beat the Texas Rangers. It was turning out to be a perfect day.

 Timmy was counting down the hours by now, waiting for five o’clock.

 When five o’clock finally arrived we brought out the newspapers and the smallest of the sticks and began to build our fire. Once the fire was started Andy asked if we had any marshmallows, we didn’t. So Andy hopped on his bike and headed over to the country store to rectify this situation. Another perk of small town America. Not having to worry about Andy as he treks to the store alone. Nothing to be bitter about here.

 As the fire starts into full blaze, Lauri puts the chicken that she has been marinating on the grill. This is going to be a perfect evening with the family. Quiet, relaxing, without a care in the world. Good food by a good fire, with family, and  the grand finale yet to come.

 Andy has made his way back from the store with the marshmallows and now the boys have to find the perfect sticks for the marshmallow toasting. This doesn’t take them long. They are now eating marshmallows as the chicken still cooks on the grill.

 Timmy, who had been counting down the hours until we started the fire is now wondering when we will have the grand finale. It will be soon. But first we must eat.

The chicken is ready. Lauri, Andy, Timmy, and I all pull up chairs to the fire and enjoy some barbecue chicken wings and rice. I enjoy a beer. We are all sitting around the fire, it is quiet except for our laughter and the crackle of the fire. I can’t help but think that sometimes when life can be so hectic it is simple times like this that make it all worthwhile.

 It seems like just yesterday that I was in high school and dating my high school sweetheart, but it was more than twenty years ago now. My high school sweetheart is still by my side at this fire, now as my wife and best friend of almost twenty years. Amazing how the time has gone by. It seems as if it was yesterday that my two boys were both babies, yet now they are both teenagers. Time marches on, you can’t stop it, you just have to embrace and enjoy it.

 We are finished eating and I managed to also burn my old picnic table. Something Governor Lynch would not approve of, but hey, he doesn’t have to know. The fire is now dwindling down as we are running out of sticks and leaves. It is time for the grand finale, much to the delight of Timmy who is now smiling from ear to ear. Andy is trying to act too cool to be impressed by the grand finale, but I know better. Before the grand finale can get under way there is one bit of business to take care of. We must get the hose ready, just in case.

 The grand finale has become a tradition of ours. We have several fires a year, but at our spring cleanup fire we always have the finale. It is time to drag last year’s Christmas tree out of the woods and throw it on the fire.

 In a matter of twenty seconds a fire that is almost out is now throwing flames into the air about twenty feet high. We all have to back up from the heat as we are now sweating. Lauri isn’t sweating, she is enjoying the extra heat. A minute later the tree is done burning. It is quick, but it is incredible how fast it goes up in flames. This always reminds me why the Christmas tree isn’t lit when nobody is at home.

 It is time to extinguish the fire and head inside for the evening. The boys have to go to school tomorrow and Lauri and I have to work tomorrow. Real life catches up with us again.

 Most days aren’t as relaxing as this day was, life moves fast. Before you know it the children are grown and you didn’t even see it coming. But for one day at least life was simple.

 That is what I picture when I think about small town America. The simple life.

Not only am I not bitter, I wouldn’t trade it for anything.