Winter chores

I think I have loppers elbow. A few solid days of cutting broom shrubs in the forest and I can feel my elbow every time.

I love using a weed as a tree protector.

We have had our first proper winter weather this past week. And that meant I had to protect my rather young fruit trees all over the garden from the desiccating cold winds. We went down to minus 9C with the wind chill factored in. So I hope this has helped.

It does look a bit odd. But these are the new soft fruit bushes I planted last month. And they don’t have enough robust roots to withstand a battering.

And all over the farm I have been swathing my new fruit trees in the same magic stuff. Gotta love a good weed. If we don’t cut back some of the broom it will flower and set seed in May and turn this mountain into a jungle.

I actually admire the broom. But boy is it a pain to yank up (small) or cut back.

At least I get my ‘vengeance’ my putting it to use.

I would have more pictures to show you – but it was too cold to remove my gloves and unearth the camera from a pocket.

But here is another good winter job. This was the detritus left over from a fallen tree way back in…

October. And I have only just got round to giving things a good tidy. I was getting tired of averting my gaze every time I wanted to go to the letterbox or to town.

I now have a neat and tidy drive. And plenty of sticks for chipping.

I was all fired up to chip as well. But even the mighty German Viking/Stihl can’t function well when it’s freezing.

And this cold snap has gone on for so long I am forced indoors to do my budgeting for 2024; keep the cat company in front of the fire, and generally get my photo folders sorted and ready for the coming year.

She is an excellent hot water bottle.