Haircuts.

I mowed the yard for the first time this year. There really wasn't much mowing to be done, but I wanted to mulch up some leaves and chop the wild onions growing all over the place. I'm not a grass freak. Whatever grows is welcome. The clover is taking over in some areas. Eventually the bermuda grass chokes it out.

In some places, I'm very nervous about mowing. After last year's accident with the hateful lawnmower, I tend to stay away from certain areas. Here's the "path" near the swing in the back yard. All the rain has washed away what little soil was there exposing hundreds of new potential accidents. I'll get out there soon and rake again, just to remove the lose ones.



It was a nice, cool day. We did reach 62, but it never felt like it. The wind has been blowing most of the afternoon making it comfortable in just a light longsleeved shirt.



Across the street, the forsythia is really showing off.



Pineapple sage, sown only a few days ago, has germinated. I found more seedlings at the end of the driveway where my plants were last year. I thought it would be a reseeder.



And the figs in the cloner...You're doing it wrong. The roots are on top with nothing below. I've been given advice to just lay them on moist soil and keep them humid. They should continue to root.



Finally, my own haircut. It's the best picture of the whole lot. The rest made me look like a serial killer. At least I just look like a stalker here.



It's 57 degrees. The hangover is gone. I'm hungry.

Transplanting

I couldn't wait any longer. The ground is soggy and wet, but my fingers are itchy to be in real dirt. So I moved a few plants that not only tolerate wet soil, but thrive in them.

The magnolia has been moved to the gully, behind the fallen oak tree.



Redtwig dogwoods got moved from the driveway border to the gully too. It's going to be a never ending fight to remove the ivy that grows on my side of the stream, but it has to be done. As soon as I see new growth in the spring, I'll weed whack it and start spraying, pulling, and cussing.



While I was down there, I picked up enough stones to finish edging the rose garden. The last one was a fighter.



I also transplanted the sweet gum I brought back at Christmas from the parents. It had been living in a one gallon pot beside the garage door through the last cold snap. It's got nice buds on the tips of the branches, so I think it should survive just fine. It's also planted in the gully, but a little further from the stream. I love the foliage, but hate the seed pods. So it's relegated to an out of the way spot where I rarely walk and never barefoot.

It's 46 degrees and cloudy. Rain is supposed to be moving in this afternoon. The temperatures will drop overnight returning us to normal January weather of 50s/30s. It was nice while it lasted.

In the hoophouse, I set out a few more of the wintersown containers I did last night. Sixteen quarts were done. Four 2-liters were placed at the end of the driveway. I saw more rudbeckia sprouts. I've decided to leave it alone for a week. I'm out of space anyway. Small tip cuttings of Carla's fig went into a container in the hoophouse as well.

Spring can't get here soon enough.

3:24pm - lunch break. Although the weather indicator says it's cloudy, it's not. The sun has been out today since noon. It's 68 degrees. I'm sweating.

Warm, in bed.

Outside, it's 27 degrees this morning. It's warmer than the forecast.



I didn't want to get out of bed today, but I have a lot of things to do. Firewood, stones, cleaning, laundry. Wearing half my clothes to work each day is taking a toll on me and my machines.

11:41am - I've spent the last hour and a half working on the gully. I cut some small firewood that won't need to be split. Some of it has been down since last summer, so it should burn well. I've cleared a lot of brush in the form of privet, which I know will regrow. I've moved limbs too small and numerous to burn in the heater to the edges creating a more open area. I've laid some rotting logs in the stream that still has water in it today. I'm trying to encourage frogs/toads to move in. There are way too many mosquitoes here in the summer.



I found a nice rock. Don't worry Nell, I'm not going to try to move this one. At first I thought I had uncovered the roof of a Volkswagen.



Standing on that rock, one can see other stones, bricks, etc that I found under an euonymous vine/shrub. It's the variety that has orange berries in the fall and a really thick wooden trunk. I cut it all the way back to the ground. I'm hoping I have time to clear the bricks and portable stones before it grows back.



I've got more to do. It's been a good morning so far. I needed some coffee and a warm period. It's 34 degrees.

1:24pm - I'm done cutting wood for the day. I've got a lot done. There's still a lot left to do. That tree took down many more when it fell. I've found downed maples, dogwoods, a whole bunch of flowering quince, and lots of little sapplings. Of course, there's privet under there too.

The bricks have been tossed across the stream. I'm going to let that side grow back the way it wants. It's not my property so my main concern is making sure I have an evergreen edge on my side of the stream. I'm afraid that some day, the owners of the rental house next door will sell the lot and something will happen to all that forested area.

Next up, lunch, then splitting firewood. First, I have to let my toes thaw. It's 36 degrees and windy.

2:53pm - And I am done outside. It's 39 degrees, but I have finally reached my stopping point. I'm exhausted. Going to spend some time tonight really managing the fire to get the house warmed up. I might even build a fire in the fireplace in the living room. The cat has had enough of this cold. She needs to be warmed.

How much wood can a wood splitter split....

In an hour, with my dad at the controls, we split enough wood to last at least a week. Considering what I split with the ax this past weekend, plus what we have stacked now in two piles, only one branch from this massive oak tree has been chopped. There's a lot more wood to cut and split. The gas powered splitter makes it so much easier than doing it with an ax.

Pile #1



Pile #2



Later in the week, I'd like to tackle these large pieces.



Before I can do that, I need to clean out an area to walk through. Lots of privet and undergrowth makes it hard to carry/roll these logs to the splitter.



There's a LOT of stone laying on the ground back here. I think the lady that built these gardens years ago used it to edge the creek bed that is now just a drainage ditch. The average size is roughly 6" across.



I'll use that one stack of stone to finish edging the new perennial bed path today.



It's 48 degrees. Today's high should be in the mid 70s. Tonight, 46. No frost last night at 38 degrees. This weekend should be very nice.

11:47am - I must have disturbed a yellow jacket nest. No more work in the gully today. I could pot up the white brugs. I could drill, cut, and hammer the rebar for my two new planting beds. I could spend some time raking leaves in Larry's yard. But I think I plan to sit here for a bit before I do anything. Those big pieces of wood are heavy. The stone, it's much larger than it appears. I only got 4-6 pieces.