There’s the proof. Trousers and socks ablaze. Fortunately I was wearing other trousers at the time.

This time of year we burn the piles of prunings and other tree trimmings we’ve accumulated since the start of winter (it is spring here in NZ). We’d started it with some paper in a cardboard box which I took to the back door afterwards to fetch some tools.

When the blaze was starting to die down we headed back and found the box was just ashes and my gardening trousers that lay beside them were alight. Obviously the box had been too near that fire. Easily fixed and no damage done, except to a very old pair of trousers.

Could have been worse though.