A Little Off The Top

Did I mention that it was a very large tree that went down in the last storm?  This massive burn pile is just the tippy-top of the one-third that dropped to the north and only the branches blocking the driveway.  It took Helper Dude two days to cut and bring this amount up, and there are three sections of trunk and a forest of branches that haven't been touched.  That's what HD calls job security.  HD told me that the hole in the ground where the roots pulled up is over four feet deep.  I find it too depressing to go look.  That tree was home to many birds and deer rested in its shade in the heat of summer.  It's a great loss.

A couple of days of sunshine dried the mud somewhat and finally allowed me to get something done in the barn.  Neglected stalls were cleaned and trenches were re-dug in anticipation of the rain due on Wednesday (aarrgh).  Dirt had washed down, making doors and gates almost impossible to open, so I cleared that away.  There's a fine line between slush and cement with this decomposed granite and I needed to dig while I could.

I really needed a sunshine fix, so Bess and I sat on the deck soaking up the rays for awhile after chores.  Later in the afternoon, on some pretext or another, we went outside again and we spent time clearing almost all the weeds left in the lavender bed and reshaping the lavender plants.  Still later (I think I'd stepped out to bring in some firewood), the herb garden demanded attention.  Marjoram is a fairly low-growing plant, but it sends up long stems with lovely purple clusters that become so straggly when the flowers die.  Bess supervised while I did some trimming.  (Any excuse to stay outside is a good one.)

It was a day that started well and ended the same way.  It was a good day.