Woodwork

mulberry-before.JPGGardening to report at last. The mulberry in the courtyard is now bald. The soft fruit trees have had a haircut as well. Just an hour o work from Nicolas (I was on picking up pruning sticks duty) but wonderful progress.nicolas-pruning.JPG Monday they are off to get the sand for the wall. Hurrah. And hopefully I can get a cubic metre or two of gravel for the courtyard as well.pruned-mulberry.JPG

At was quite a wooden theme as I was on log duty today  which is why I am slumped on the sofa and not going out to dinner with Jean Daniel, his brother and son tonight. Just more than ready to slink off to bed. Michel, our great tree surgeon neighbour spends one day a week up in our forest cutting out the dead wood and generally improving our neglected forest. thurs-forest-work.JPGHe piles up the wood ready for burning (which he has already cut into the perfect lengths) up at the top of the forest. And it is my job to get it down to the house.wood-at-top.JPG

At first I thought I could stack them in the wheelbarrow and walk them down the slope. But the slope is more ski slope than gentle incline and it’s too easy to upset all the goods en route. So instead it’s bring out the throwing skills and launch them down the hill. You can only do this to the smallish logs. wood-at-bottom.JPGAs the lobbing distance is about 80 metres. I can get most of the logs down in one go to the flattish bit near the top potager. But after about half an hour of strenuous throwing they tend to bwang off into the rocks or just fall rather short. It’s most satisfying when you can get a tonne of wood for your own fire into the wood cellar. woodshed.JPGBut my you do feel all your arm muscles at the end of it.