Busy hedge trimmers
The local hedge trimmers have been busy - on a drive cross-country we passed lots of sharply defined shelter hedges, and quite a few smoky paddock bonfires. Alas, we've joined the party. Non-Gardening Partner collects trailer loads of Leyland pieces (too small to handle in the shredder), I barrow in mess from the felled gum tree in the Hump. Result : a successful lasagne-layers bonfire, with much steam (AKA smoke). Every small area I get cleared up is noticeable (to me, anyway), and of course uncovers yet more mess.
The beginning of the bonfire
But why is this such tiring work? It puzzles me. Nothing is particularly heavy, I don't have to plod uphill, and so on. Anyway, am having lunch on the patio, and might do some more clearing this afternoon.
Much later...
Did another three hours, came inside sooooo tired, had a cup of tea and fell asleep in a chair. I reckon it's the footwork that's tiring. Throwing things on the bonfire is like a port de bras at ballet - quite graceful...
Monday 25th September
How weird is this weather? After a string of warm spring nights, this morning it's zero degrees, with slivers of frost on the lawns. The log-burner is blazing merrily, and I am lurking inside drinking cups of tea and coffee, waiting for things to warm up.
Buster :- Buster always spies on me when I'm working in the garden.
The cats are back in winter mode - black Buster curled up on a woolly jersey, Black Fred stretched out warming his tummy in front of the wood burner. Red Fred has got the pip and is in the Sleep-Out.
Much later...
Ha! I did one hour's piano practice on Albeniz and four hours clearing and burning, same as yesterday : a barrowful of gum and pine tree mess, a barrowful of hedge trimmings. Yeay for me. The photographs below are of pretty things I've been plodding past.
And now I'm pretty tired, and as a consequence have very little to say. Funny that!
Stump in the Hump
Next day...
Yeay! The new baby came for his first country visit this morning. When he and the brown dogs went home Non-Gardening Partner chain-sawed some of the smaller Hump branches and I barrowed more mess over to the bonfire. Then he collected a trailer load of Deodar trimmings - all very small and quite prickly. I brought over more loads of gum and pine, and it all got very smoky (the wind was coming from the south, swirling around a lot). Aargh!
Do a little each day...
I remind myself to do a little each day, and be careful not to trip over anything. If there's no wind, let the bonfire reignite. If I get too annoyed, sit down somewhere and do some weeding. Enjoy? Not totally. But easy!