Saturday

Today is pollarding day so Matt is up with the birds (well, like, just before 8:30). The best I can do at this point is push for a cup of tea and reprieve till 9am. I know I do really want these trees to go so we can get the sun in the afternoon but questioning how much I want it right now. We only have the cherry picker for one day though so have to just suck it up and get on with it.

It was cold, I had 3 jumpers on and a look that could kill but that wasn’t going to stop the inevitable. This was all much more appealing before, now I’m stuck on the ground pulling on ropes and hauling logs the shine has rather washed off, I mean it’s not as though I get to play on the cherry picker anyway. With a lot of hard work, but quicker than anticipated, the first tree is mostly down before we have to break for lunch.

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With lunch done there’s at least another hour till we can start again due to rules about making noise at lunch time. Too cold outside and not enough time to start another job so a quick bit of TV (and a short nap for me). Heavens, that break went quickly but Matt is resolute and I (mostly) know when to push things, now is not the time so back to it.

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As we got towards the last, thickest part of the second tree Matt was unsure if it would go, my hands were hurting from pulling so hard (basically trying to pull the whole tree – but you can’t take a risk when you’re not certain when a big chunk will fall). Eventually he decides it’s not going to budge but with a final Hurculean pull from the ground (me, obvs) it comes crashing down. Je suis un heros!

Seems we’re not quite going to be able to get them cut to where I would like with this relatively small chainsaw but it’s not a bad effort. It’s about 4pm now so before we move the cherry picker it’s time for some sightseeing.

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With a load of logs moved and the path cleared Matt can do a little housekeeping on the bush to the side. These are just little branches so my job reverts to Director mode: ‘no not that branch, the one behind; left a bit, right a bit; no, where your hand was before; yes, that’s it’ and other such. The worst bits are off though and time for a celebratory beer and turn off the timelapse.

Uh oh, looks like we need to go to Intermarche as while I might manage through today with this last beer I’m not sure I can risk tomorrow too. We’re back before you know it and just have one tree left to go (for this year at least). That massive branch annoys me and Matt wants to tidy up the other side too. So I run the cables up and down but mostly go back to shouting directions (I’m pretty good at this director stuff). Finally we’re done and I am exhausted, so Matt asks me to hold the chainsaw at arms length (like he has been doing since 9am) for a minute. I couldn’t manage 30s. I think he was making a point…

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It’s odd how much bigger the garden seems now and how much closer the mountains seem. I’m very happy, despite the cloud shrouding out the last sun of the day. Time for dinner and Matt is making steak and cheese pie again. This is going to take a while so I hit the golf course with the kids.

Showers, dinner and time for bed – or reviewing final comments on the tender response and updating the blog. But now bed.

[17 Apr 2021]

Sunday

So the tree guy is due to pick up the cherry picker this morning. Matt was up well before however as apparently he couldn’t sleep and was hungry. I however had no problem staying in bed so he bought up the radio to save shouting up. Eventually I run down to meet him, in my pyjamas, again. He has a two in three hit rate on me pyjamas; which Matt kindly reminded me is probably about accurate.

With that dealt with there was a bit more stripping to be done around the window frames in the kitchen so I had to get that done as a priority to let Matt move on with the plasterboard. Finished it up just after lunch and was released to garden while Matt carried on in the kitchen.

It’s one of those jobs that takes a surprising amount of time but doing it properly will save a lot of time later on and have the best results for the veg.

With it finally done Matt and I took some time to relax on the porch in the last of the sun. It’s nice to spend some time together just chatting, there’s always so much going on we can find ourselves being so distracted that we don’t stop to appreciate we have and the crazy journey we’re on.

More of Matt’s lovely pie for dinner and time for him to finally relax those tired arms (and review the old blogs). Before you know it, it’s time for bed and another very busy Monday so I’d best sign off. Night all! x

[18 April 2021]