The Work Week

From left to right: Jim, Andy, Les and Steve made up the crew.

I tackled the branches.  When I finished on Wednesday afternoon the edge of the yard looked as if

a family of beavers had created a compound.

J. limbing one of the maples.

A load of wood behind Snort'n Nort'n.

My heaps of branches.

Some months ago a friend [who is also veterinarian to our cats] mentioned to J. that he was anxious to have three maples in his front yard removed. [These are "water maples" which I have mentioned before--known for having shallow and invasive root systems.]

J. was cautious enough to state that he didn't really want the liability for bringing down several large trees so close to power lines and in a residential neighborhood.

Even with skill and experience there is the off chance of a tree falling other than its designated spot.

The matter rested over the winter months, then last weekend, Les contacted J. to announce that his son was visiting and had declared that with suitable help the trees could be brought down.

I'm not quite sure why I was invited along---maybe to help Les' wife serve lunch to the workers [?]

When the first and largest of the trees was successfully toppled, I found I could be of use in collecting the top branches into heaps for two of the men to load and haul away.

When lunch was served on the sunny back patio my eye was caught by an oddly shaped bush with tight pink buds all along the stems. The structure of the branches resembled a small fruit tree that had been espaliered.

Les explained that it is a "patio peach."  It was given to him as a nursery reject, spindly and sparse.

He planted it at the edge of his compost pile and saw that it had water. It took two seasons for the little shrub to perk up and grow. When it had proved itself to be thrifty, it was moved to a bed at the edge of the patio.

When J. and I returned on Wednesday for him to work up the remaining two fallen maples, Les poked his head out of the clinic and told me to be sure and have another look at the patio peach.  The photos below show it in all its blooming radiance.

J. continued to whack up tree trunks with the chainsaw.  I continued dragging top branches into piles and raking smaller bits from the lawn.

We returned home with a load of wood about an hour ahead of the hail and T-storm.

Another load of wood remains to be fetched when the showers have ceased and Les's front yard dried out.

I also spent hours earlier in the week on my knees weeding in the perennial bed before the rains.  So much remains to be done.

I AM TIRED!

I've been reading my favorite blogs as an after-supper treat, but have been too sleepy and fuzzy-minded by then to post comments and responses.

All of you who garden know this feeling--that raking, pruning, tidying, planting all want doing in a narrow wedge of springtime fair weather.

The cats have felt neglected during this week of hard labor, mewing plaintively that they would like a warm body to plop in an easy chair and provide a comfortable lap.

That too, shall hopefully come to pass!

Photos reloaded on Monday.  They were in place when I checked the blog after creating the post on Sunday. Strange things happen.